Hass Avocado Growing in Uganda

The avocado’s expansion in Uganda began in 2013 when farmers exported just above 4 tons of avocado. The industry has since exploded, reaching a record high of 469 tons in 2020 according to figures from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade.)

Uganda exports Hass avocados mainly to the European Union (EU) and the Middle East. Smallholder farmers in Uganda have praised Hass avocado as the answer to poverty. Avocado exporters in Uganda currently buy at US0.13 dollars (about UGX450-UGX500) per fruit and US0.6 dollars-US0.8 dollars (about UGX2,000-UGX2,800) per kg. The average price per kilo for Hass avocado in Uganda is between UGX1,500 and UGX2,000. The average price is about UGX350-UGX500 per fruit. But during the off-season, from October to February, Hass avocado in Uganda can go up to as high as UGX5,000 per kilo from UGX2,000. The price of one avocado is between UGX1,200 and UGX1,700. One commercial acre in Uganda has 160 Hass avocado trees. One tree can produce 100-300 fruits after two and half to three years. Therefore, one acre can produce between 16,000 and 48,000 fruits. A farmer can earn from UGX8,000,000-UGX24,000,000 from their first harvest of Hass avocados.

Hass avocado trees are fully mature after five years. A farmer can earn from UGX56,000,000-UGX80,000,000 from their second harvest of Hass avocados. The price of one Hass avocado seedling in Uganda that is ready to plant ranges between UGX5,000 and UGX8,000. The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) has listed Hass avocado as one of the 19 crops it is promoting under the Agricultural Value Chain Development Programme (AVCP.) At the start of 2022, the ministry proposed to introduce production of the Hass avocado to complement sugarcane production in Busoga sub-region, Eastern Region.

Hass avocado is Uganda’s newest export crop as the country hopes to reap big benefits from the highly valued fruit. The government of Uganda is already supporting the production of Hass avocado especially in rural areas. This will propel Uganda to a leading position as an avocado exporting country.