Macadamia and cashew nuts are increasingly becoming major cash crops with high export value in East and Southern Africa. Feasibility studies in Uganda indicate a very high potential for the crops as the country has adequate rainfall, suitable soils, and elevation similar to Kenya and Tanzania, the leading suppliers to Europe of macadamia and cashew nuts. The nut trees can bear fruit for over 100 years, have two seasons a year, and are highly demanded on the international market.

Initial projections indicate that “a farmer can earn between UGX 60-70 million per year from an acre of macadamia, and UGX 24 – 60 million per acre of cashew”, if properly managed. These credentials endow the nut trees with great potential to improve farmers’ household income, increase foreign exchange earnings, create employment, reduce poverty and enhance their living standards through the production, processing, and export of nuts