By Herbert Musoke
By the year 2030, Hass avocado is expected to be Uganda’s leading foreign exchange earning crop, as it is expected to bring in $3.76b (sh14 trillion).
The Government of Uganda categorised Hass avocado, macadamia and cashew nuts as high-value crops and intensified their production across the country, through sharing the cost of seedlings to help farmers access them.
Through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), the Government has started giving out high-value crop seedlings as a way of increasing household incomes and the tax base for the country.
“One Hass avocado seedling costs between sh7,500 and sh8,500, while a macadamia nut seedling costs between sh10,000 and sh11,000, which is expensive for many Ugandan farmers. Through this arrangement, the beneficiary farmers have paid 30% of the cost of the seedlings while the Government, through NAADS, has paid the remaining 70%,” Khadija Nakakande, the NAADS spokesperson, said.
Farmers from Luwero, Mityana and Masaka districts, who remitted their 30% contribution towards the purchase of seedlings, have already received them for planting this season.
Dr Christopher Bukenya, the manager of technical and agribusiness services at NAADS, said a well-managed macadamia tree can yield up to 160kg of fruit.
“The average yield is 100kg per tree every season (after removing the top cover) because macadamia fruits all year round. Each kilogramme is sold at sh5,000; meaning that you will get sh500,000 per tree,” Bukenya said.
“Every kilogramme of clean seeds sold as nuts goes for sh100,000.”
At the end of the value chain, a farmer packs other products like macadamia oil, butter and cracks.
“We package them in 50 grammes and sell mainly in bars at sh10,000,” he said, adding that the shells can be used as firewood thus saving the environment by not cutting down trees for fuel.
For Hass avocado, the tree is expected to yield about 250 fruits in the first year of harvest and the smallest being of size 32 that can fetch the least farm gate price of sh100 for each.
“An acre takes 160 trees. Therefore, if each tree produced 100 fruits in the first year, a farmer will get 16,000 fruits and if sold at sh100 each, they will earn sh1.6m.
“In the fourth year when the tree has reached its full maturity and productivity, each tree will produce 800 fruits and will collect 128,000 fruits. If sold at sh100 each fruit, a farmer will earn sh12.8m from an acre throughout its 50-year lifespan,” Bukenya said.
Mariam Kabereka, the deputy Luwero resident district commissioner, said the seedlings delivered are of good quality as they are mature enough.
She said the saplings have been delivered on time when the area is still receiving rain, which will minimise losses.
“We believe this initiative will go a long way in improving the household incomes of our people in Luwero since the fruits have a ready market and the prices are high. This season, we have given out seedlings to over 150 farmers and we expect to give more farmers next season,” Kabereka said.
She called on farmers in Luwero to embrace the high-value crops (Hass avocado, macadamia and cashew nuts), saying they are profitable.
Kabereka also advised farmers to take advantage of the Parish Development Model to get money, which they can use to pay for seedlings.
