Uganda Avocado Production in Steady Growth Mode

The global demand for fresh avocados has grown rapidly. This has in turn given the fruit an edge over other tropical fruits in sales. The avocado’s image as a healthy super-food is changing more and more consumer diets.

Nowadays, global trade is possible through exports and imports. It is for this reason that consumers around the world now enjoy year-round availability of avocados with more stable month to month prices.

Avocado imports especially into the European markets have risen fast. Over the past 10 years, the European Union has allowed avocados from African countries into its markets. The results speak for themselves because a country like Uganda is upping its production of avocados.

Ugandan Avocado

Uganda is located at the equator and so it has the most favorable climate for producing avocados. Avocados farmers in Uganda can make a good profit, between 50% and 80%, because of the lower input needed. Avocados in Uganda are mainly produced by smallholder farmers.

The rising urban population is fuelling the local market demand for avocado. There is also a big demand for avocado in export markets like the European Union (EU) and the Middle East. Both of these markets are the drivers behind the expanding production of avocados in Uganda.

Here is the export volume of avocados from Uganda between 2010 and 2020:

Avocado Growing Areas in Uganda

Uganda’s fertile soils and tropical climate have made it ideal for growing avocados. Here are the districts and the regions where avocados in Uganda are mainly grown:

• Northern Region: Zombo, Arua, Gulu Districts
• Western Region: Ntungamo, Kabarole Districts
• Eastern Region: Mbale, Mayuge, Iganga, Tororo Districts
• Central Region: Buikwe, Masaka, Mpigi, Mubende, Mukono, Kampala Districts

Avocado Growing Conditions in Uganda

Avocado in Uganda does well under the following conditions:

• Altitude range between 1400-1600m
• Well distributed rainfall throughout the year of 1000mm-1600mm
• Irrigation in dry season or in areas with inadequate rainfall
• Optimum temperatures of 20°C-24°C
• Loose, sandy or loamy soils, well-draining with pH ranging 5-7
• Minimum of 6 full hours of sunlight a day

Avocado in Uganda

Avocado production in Uganda is considered organic. This means that majority of the avocado growers are heavily dependent on nature. They use external inputs very minimally. Uganda has one of the lowest rates in the world of chemical fertilizer use, at about 2kg per hectare per year.

Many smallholder farmers in Uganda practice organic avocado farming without even knowing. But they have not yet tapped into the export market. Some of the factors holding them back include:

• Low yields due to heavy reliance on natural weather cycles
• Traditional farming methods and equipment
• Limited availability of good quality commercial avocado seedlings
• Lack of technical knowledge
• Limited knowledge on existing avocado varieties and their characteristics
• High cost of certification
• High cost of logistics to export destinations
• Limited infrastructure for avocado processing and value addition
• Lack of coordination and regulations in the avocado supply chain
• Market demand for specific standards such as quality, safety, sustainability and traceability

Although Uganda is landlocked, it is coming up the ladder to be among the biggest avocado producers in Africa. Uganda still relies on the expensive air freight for the export of avocados to destination markets. The freight cost from Uganda to Europe is about 30-40% more expensive than for other avocado producing countries in Africa that export via air.

Investment Opportunities in Avocado Production in Uganda

In 2020, the government of Uganda launched the National Organic Agriculture Policy (NOAP) to promote food security and increase income for farmers. This policy also targets avocado production so that avocado exports from Uganda can continue rising.

Here are some of the investment opportunities in avocado production in Uganda:

1. Setting up cold storage facilities. These can help Uganda benefit from increased use of the alternative sea freight. A shipment from Uganda to any port in Europe takes 35 to 40
2. Doing avocado value addition such as avocado oil, biogas and organic fertilizer from avocado waste and doing avocado processing for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.
3. Lower certification costs since there are local certification bodies that are internationally accredited with standards like Global GAP.
4. Getting more smallholder avocado farmers to be certified in either two ways. Farmers can be organized as farmers’ groups which directly export or as ‘out-growers’ who sell through avocado export companies.
5. Extending quality testing services to the district level so that avocado farmers can easily access them and control pests and diseases that affect their fruits.
6. Formation of Uganda Exports Promotions Board (UEPB) to make diversification of exports a priority, into no-traditional products like avocado. UEPB is also training smallholder avocado farmers on market readiness.
7. Availability of land and water for avocado production.
8. A ready market that is also huge, both locally and internationally.
9. Ideal climatic and soil conditions for growing avocados.
10. Developing avocado varieties that preferred especially in the export market.
11. Launch of Uganda Vision 2040 that explains the strategy of how the government of Uganda can support the growth of the avocado sub-sector under the successful horticultural sector.

Products and Benefits of Avocado

Apart from the fruit itself, avocado can also be made into various products. Here are a few of them:

• Avocado oil. Unlike other nutritious oils like olive or coconut oil, avocado oil has a high smoke point, making it the perfect choice for cooking.
• Avocado shampoo which contains cold pressed avocado oil is used to prevent and repair hair damage.
• Avocado body lotion which is largely made up of avocado oil is used to nourish the skin and keep it hydrated.
• Avocado spread is just like other traditional spreads like margarine, fruit jam or peanut butter but with less cholesterol and calories.

Avocado has numerous health benefits and here are some of them:

• Avocados are rich in anti-inflammatory properties
• Avocados keep your heart healthy
• Avocados keep your blood pressure stable
• Avocados help to prevent indigestion and constipation
• Avocados are beneficial for your eyes
• Avocados promote weight loss
• Avocados are essential for a healthy pregnancy