Variegatus Grasshopper infestation alarms coffee farmers in Kyotera
According to the farmers, the pests were first noticed in the area in December 2023.
KYOTERA, June 9, 2025 – Coffee farmers in Bbanda Village, Kabira Sub-county, Kyotera district, are facing potential losses following an invasion of Variegatus grasshoppers in their coffee gardens.
According to the farmers, the pests were first noticed in the area in December 2023.
There is growing concern among the farmers that the infestation of the pests could spread and escalate into a national crisis if swift intervention is not undertaken.
Coffee farmer Elastus Kabanda said the pests feed mainly on the leaves of various crops, especially coffee and cassava.
“The feeding on the leaves leads to the drying of other parts of the plant,” Kabanda explained.
Meanwhile, Agricultural Officers from Kyotera district, in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and scientists from the National Agricultural Research Organisation [NARO], have visited the affected farms to assess the situation and raise awareness on how the pest can be managed in the short term.
The scientists also found that the coffee infestation by Variegatus grasshoppers has been exacerbated by the presence of coffee wilt disease. They urged farmers to adopt new coffee varieties that are relatively resistant to the disease.
In addition, farmers were advised to practise proper field management techniques. These include regular weeding to destroy the pest’s eggs and daytime habitat, as well as pruning and to allow sunlight and heat penetration—conditions which the pest is known to be averse to.
Community-based control methods were also recommended, such as the handpicking and burning of the grasshoppers to reduce their population.
Edward Ssempijja, the Kyotera District Agricultural Extension Officer, noted that the presence of Variegatus grasshoppers has become relatively common due to extreme climatic variations.
https://thecooperator.news/ugandas-coffee-exports-surge-in-april-2025-setting-new-records/
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