LETTER TO THE HONORABLE ROBERT S. BERGLAND FROM STANSFIELD TURNER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001700080009-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: January 1, 2000
• Content Type: LETTER

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Doi
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Director
Attached is a response to your query on
the spreading of coffee rust to the Central
A/DDI
25 April 1977
5.75 FORM 101 U ESE PREVIOUS
STAT
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1 - DDI w/att
1 - D/OER, DD/OER, SA/ER w/att
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}
1 - NO/LA w/att r
2 - D/IA w/att
OER/D/
(22 April 1977)
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.!
22 April 1977
SUBJECT: Coffee Rust
Coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) is probably the worst
of the coffee tree diseases and is endemic in a number of
countries around the world. Although it has been prevalent
in Brazil since 1970, it is under control there and played
no part in the disastrous decline in production caused
by the 1975 frost or in the soaring coffee prices that
followed. Rising prices on the world coffee marrkety during
the a outbreak of the/diseaserinhCentraluAmerica.
a new
Rust was unknown in Central America until last
December when it appeared in Nicaragua. It has since
been reported in Costa Rica and Honduras. Despite a
control effort now underway, the disease will almost
certainly spread to all the coffee growing areas of
Central America, Mexico and probably the Caribbean.
Coffee rust is a fungus that defoliates an infected
tree and, if untreated, will destroy the tree in about three
years. While the disease is virtually impossible to eradicate,
it can be controlled with chemical sprays. Trees canalsoed,
be replaced with rust-resistant varieties. Properly t
infected trees will suffer little or no loss of output
and the chief economic impact is an increase in production
costs. A few farmers may be forced to abandon coffee
either because they are marginal producers or because
ectheiral
land is too steep to permit economical spraying by
means. Spraying from the air is not effective because the
disease attacks the under side of the leaf.
It is impossible to predict how the new outbreak will
affect production in Central America. It probably will slow
the growth of production for a few years while farmers become
adjusted to their new situation, learn to take the disease
seriously, and become proficient in control methods. A
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temporary drop in production is possible. Central America
and the Caribbean produce nearly 20 percent of the world's
coffee and have been steadily increasing their output in
recent years. A disruption of this trend will somewhat
delay the recovery of world production from the decline
caused by the 1975 frost in Brazil and prolong the period
during which production will remain below consumption.
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 STAT
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0
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FORM USE PREVIOUS
5-75 101 EDITIONS
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