MALNUTRITION: Cassava Mosaic Disease

KAMPALA, 20 May 2010 (IRIN) - Agriculture officials and researchers in Uganda have warned of a serious threat posed by a new strain of Cassava Mosaic Disease, saying it could wipe out at least 202,342ha of crops. Farmers in the central district of Mukono have been hardest-hit by the Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), a devastating viral infection that affects the edible parts - the tuberous roots and sometimes leaves - leading to a total loss of yields in most cases. It is spread by white flies. Mike Thresh, a consultant on cassava viral diseases, said the disease was now occurring in areas previously believed to be immune, such as high altitude areas away from the Indian Ocean coastal belt of Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.