Coffee Leaf Rust

Our roaster, John, after a bad head on collision last October was in hospital for five months. John put in some hospital time reading about coffee diseases. Phew! He got tired and confused reading about all the diseases that cripple coffee growing around the globe. He has new respect for the farmers and producers who too often risk everything to grow coffee. The most significant disease is coffee leaf rust, “Hemileia vastatrix” which has spread around the world starting from its home in Africa. Next in seriousness perhaps is coffee berry disease. Then the list goes on and on and on. Coffee Leaf Rust in the nineteenth century destroyed coffee growing in Ceylon, what is now Sri Lanka. Feel for coffee farmers every where who are now vigilant to check the underside of coffee leaves for spots to catch the disease early.

Advertisement