By Paul Kiwuuwa
The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local growers of Hass avocado, focusing on the development of the value chain.
A value chain encompasses the entire life cycle of a product or process, from material sourcing to production, consumption, exporting and even recycling. The MOU signing was at NARO headquarters in Entebbe on July 16, involving three key organisations: NARO Holdings Limited (NHL — the business arm of NARO), NARO itself, and Curated Holdings International Ltd (CHIL), a Ugandan company specialising in Hass avocado cultivation.
It was signed by Dr Yona Baguma, the director general of NARO on behalf of the organisation, and Dr Blessings Mukasa Bakali, the chief executive offi cer of CHIL, witnessed by Andrew Fred Mitala on behalf of NARO Holdings Limited, senior presidential advisor Vincent Sempijja, and workers MP Dr Abdulhu Byakatonda who is also a nursery tree grower of Hass avocado.
Purpose of MOU
Baguma explained that the purpose of the MOU is to set forth the understandings and intentions of the parties regarding the shared objectives of developing modern, sustainable, environment friendly, and profitable Hass avocado farming practices through sustainable value chain development and access to markets with a view to rural transformation including, food, nutrition and income security.”
Areas of cooperation
“Under areas of cooperation, NARO, CHIL and NHL seek to partner in the promotion of modern, sustainable, environment friendly, and profitable Hass avocado farming practices, including setting up high quality, affordable certified seedlings; training, skilling, and capacity development of Hass avocado farmers in Luwero, Nwoya, and Masaka districts and surrounding regions with a focus on modern climate smart agricultural practices and facilitating their access to sustainable markets,” he added.
Benefits of hass avocado
Baguma described Hass avocado as a gold plant which meets the challenges of life including health, by providing nutrients. He said it also provides income to its growers and contributes to climate change.
The economic and social importance of Hass avocado resides in the benefi t that its cultivation gives to producers, marketers, processors, and consumers.
The orchards create jobs by demanding labour for farming operations, harvest, and fruit packing industries, among others.
About chil
Speaking about CHIL, Mukasa said it is a Ugandan company dealing in farming, processing and exporting of fresh Hass avocado fruits.
“CHIL has a farm site located in Kyabatanza Village, Kamira town council in Luwero district. Currently, its major enterprises include a 100- acre (16,000 trees) Hass avocado farm and a 500,000 nursery for Hass avocado seedlings,” he said.
Roles of parties
Dr Yona Baguma, the director general of NARO intimated that NARO will provide technical information and resources such as soil sampling and soil, suitability guidelines and protocols to guide farmers and Curated Holdings International Ltd (CHIL) fi eld personnel. NARO will provide capacity building to CHIL staff and Hass avocado farmers in climate smart agricultural practices and technologies such as zero waste management; establishing and managing Hass avocado nurseries; field preparation, planting, and good Hass avocado farming practices.
Dr Blessings Mukasa Bakali, the chief executive officer of CHIL, noted that CHIL aspires to transform with priorities of Hass avocado value chain in Uganda and eventually become the nation’s leading farm and exporter of organic quality Hass avocado and related products to international markets through mobilisation of communities to form a nucleus of well-trained out growers, for increased production and productivity which is critical for value addition and agro industrialisation.
Mukasa said CHIL targets to work with 200,000 small household farmers (50,000 from each of the four regions – central, east, west, and north) mainly women, and support them to cultivate at least 0.5 acres (80 trees) of Hass avocado to scale up production.
The plan is to establish a Hass avocado processing plant of 112 tonnes capacity per day to produce oil, animal feeds, and manure.
Mukasa explained that CHIL will establish climate smart agriculture demonstration farms in each of the target regions which will act as educational centres where people will be trained and equipped with modern, sustainable, environment friendly, and profitable Hass avocado farming practices.
When fully implemented, this project will have 100,000 acres (16,000,000 trees). The project will strengthen Uganda’s resilience and adaptability to climate change and improve household incomes of the beneficiary households through a guaranteed market for all their produce.
CHIL will also provide security for the equipment, personnel and other materials for demonstration, provide maintenance and other administrative support services to the demonstration farm.
Senior presidential advisor Vincent Sempijja emphasised that NARO has to carry out its major role of carrying out research for Hass avocado.
He noted that the output of agricultural economics research is information, much of it aimed at designing or improving institutions.
He said in international markets, Uganda must carry out research on all its agricultural products for proper understanding of competitors’ strategies, which will then enable favourable competition on the international market.
