Its hard to think of another fruit more universally loved than avocado. Avocados have turned from a simple food stuff to a superfood in only a few years. They are now a staple in the diets of many people.
Avocado appears in cuisines around the world. The creamy fruit is both delicious and nutritious. The avocado is diverse in nature and can be eaten fresh, grilled or fried. People are getting more creative with this green fruit.
Avocado is the fastest growing export in the world’s fruits and vegetables market, beating best-sellers like bananas and mangoes. The global trade in avocados increases by US780 million dollars, on average, every year. Today, avocado farming is profitable in every way.
Avocado Farmers in Uganda
Avocado farming is quickly gaining widespread approval in Uganda. This will push Uganda’s position further into the top level of avocado exporting countries in Africa in the next 10 years. The government of Uganda began a campaign in 2020 to encourage more farmers to get into avocado production as a way out of poverty in the rural areas.
Hopes are high for avocado to fill the income gap in Uganda that is widening due to declining coffee export earnings. The Uganda Export Promotion Board (UEPB) has marked avocado as a high value export crop for Uganda.
Avocado production in Uganda is dominated by smallholder farmers. Their way of farming is considered environmentally sustainable. They practice intercropping by growing avocados together with crops such as beans, cabbage and peas. This helps them earn an extra income before their avocado trees become mature and go into commercial production.
Small scale avocado farmers in Uganda rarely use chemical fertilizers and instead use organic manure on their farms when needed. Ugandan soils are naturally very fertile so there is also little use for fertilizer. They rarely use pesticides and fungicides but they mainly practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which is:
- Biological methods like bee keeping, introducing natural enemies of pests
- Cultural methods like growing avocado varieties that are highly resistant to pests and diseases, monitoring for pests and diseases, intercropping
- Physical or mechanical methods like mulching, pruning, mechanical weeding, trapping
Uganda enjoys a tropical climate ideal for avocado farming. The temperatures are warm all year long at 20°C-25°C and annual rainfall is from 900mm-1500mm. There are two high rainfall planting seasons from March to May and September to December.
Avocado farms in Uganda are located in areas with good rain patterns. Avocado farmers in Uganda don’t have to rely on irrigation systems because of the frequent rainfall.
There are a few large scale avocado producers in Uganda and here are some of them:
Musubi Farm
Musubi Farm is one of the largest farms in Uganda. It is located in Mayuge District, Eastern Region. They have the largest Hass avocado farm on about 1,200 acres. They also source avocados for export to Europe from smallholder farmers. Musubi farm also operates a Hass avocado seedlings nursery.
Kanyisa Hass Avocado Project
The Kanyisa Hass Avocado Project is an initiative of the Kanyisa Food Security Foundation (KFSF). It is located in Sembabule District, Central Region. Their Hass avocado farm is 250 acres. They also have a nursery of Hass avocado seedlings.
KK Foods
KK Fresh Produce Exporters Ltd grows avocados on its 100 acre farm in Luwero District, Central Region. The number of small scale farmers who supply them with avocados for export is also increasing.
Agricado Farms
Agricado Farms Uganda Ltd is located in Kampala District, Central Region. They grow Hass avocados for export on their farm that is about 100 acres. They also source Hass avocados from out-growers to supplement their avocado production.