Govt to Spend Shs3.5 billion on Hass Avocado, Macadamia Seedlings Distribution

With the onset of rains across much of Uganda, the government, through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS) under the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), has initiated the distribution of planting materials for Hass avocado and macadamia to farmers nationwide.

For the 2024/25 financial year, NAADS plans to distribute over 400,000 Hass avocado seedlings, valued at Shs2.5 billion, and over 100,000 macadamia seedlings, worth Shs1 billion, across two planting seasons: August to October 2024 and March to May 2025.

During the ongoing planting season, NAADS is distributing 200,000 Hass avocado seedlings, expected to cover around 1,250 acres, and 100,000 macadamia seedlings, anticipated to establish about 1,000 acres. These seedlings are being allocated to farmers who have prepared their gardens and paid the required 30% contribution under the cost-sharing arrangement.

This distribution follows a comprehensive verification exercise conducted by inspectors from MAAIF, in collaboration with NAADS officials and district local governments, to ensure the quality and quantity of the planting materials being distributed.

Proscovia Mutumba, Crop Development Specialist at NAADS, expressed concern over the limited budget, which has hampered their ability to meet the growing demand for Hass avocado and macadamia seedlings.

"Recently, we've seen a significant increase in the number of farmers interested in cultivating Hass avocado and macadamia to tap into the global market for these high-value crops. Unfortunately, we cannot meet this rising demand due to budget constraints," Mutumba noted.

Currently, the annual demand stands at over 1,000,000 Hass avocado seedlings and over 700,000 macadamia seedlings. However, the Shs3.5 billion allocated for seedling procurement in this financial year can only fulfill about a quarter of this demand.

To date, the five established avocado factories in Uganda are struggling to operate at full capacity due to insufficient local avocado supply, particularly of the Hass variety. These factories have been forced to import avocados from neighboring Kenya and Tanzania to keep their operations running.

During a recent stakeholder meeting held at Musubi Farm in Mayuge District, avocado factory proprietors urged the government to scale up Hass avocado production in Uganda.

Dr. Samuel Mugasi, Executive Director of NAADS, stated that NAADS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, is working with other stakeholders in the value chains of both crops to increase production and satisfy both local and international markets.

The Ugandan government is committed to promoting and scaling up the production of high-value crops like Macadamia and Hass avocado as part of its strategy to boost household incomes and export earnings, in line with the Ministry's Value Chain Strategy.

In addition to distributing seedlings, NAADS is also providing beef bulls, maize mills, and other agricultural inputs in the current financial year.