By Joshua Kato
Uthman Katerega and Robert Mugambwa are passionate Hass avocado growers.
Together, they have been part of a movement that is gradually turning Hass avocado into one of Uganda’s most attractive long-term cash enterprises.
Under their trade name, Nilecado, the two will facilitate the Hass avocado training session during the 2025 Harvest Money Expo.
The 2025 Expo will be held at Mandela National Stadium, Namboole, from February 14-16. Organised by Vision Group, in partnership with the Embassy of the Netherlands, it is sponsored by Tunga Nutrition Bv, Engineering Solutions (ENGSOL), Bella Wines and Uganda Development Corporation (UDC), among others.
Big demand
According to Katerega and Mugambwa, the international demand for Hass avocado fruits and oil is high. However, Uganda is not producing enough to satisfy the market.
“We don’t have enough supply of Hass avocado, especially from Uganda, which has forced us to seek additional supplies from neighbouring countries,” Mugambwa says.
They explain that this is why the campaign to plant more trees must be intensified. Mugambwa adds that due to low supplies, some people who want avocado oil are now using local varieties.
“However, comparatively, Hass contains between 10% and 11% oil, while the local varieties have only 3%. This means you need to crush three times the amount of the local variety to get the same amount of oil as you would from crushing Hass,” he says.
This is why the mass cultivation of Hass is essential. Overall, 195 countries around the world consume avocados, but only 92 countries can grow them and of those, only 26 — including Uganda — are currently in production.
Kenya leads
According to Mugambwa, in Africa, Kenya leads in the production of Hass avocados, followed by South Africa.
However, Uganda has also made significant strides, with large, medium and community farms planted across the country.
Key regions include Busoga, the central region and Ssembabule, which has both smallholder communal farms and large-scale establishments.
“Our seasons are different from those of the world’s biggest producers, including Mexico, which is the leading producer with approximately 350,000 acres already planted, generating a whopping $2.5b. This means that by the time Uganda enters the market, the other players will be off-season, while Uganda has 17 million acres of arable land.”
The long shelf life of about six to eight weeks after harvest enables Uganda to harvest its fruits and ship them anywhere in the world, by sea, to compete with other global producers in the market.
A well-cared-for Hass avocado tree can bear over 300 fruits per year. According to Mugambwa, a farmer can obtain 50% first-grade fruits ready for export, sold at between sh2,000 and sh3,000 per kilogramme, while second-grade fruits are sold between sh800 and sh950 per kilogramme.
Mugambwa explains that if we take the lowest price of sh800 per kilogramme (for the lowest quality), from 35 kilogrammes per tree, a farmer could earn sh4.48m per acre. An acre requires 165 trees, planted at a spacing of 5×5 metres.
However, if at least 50% of the harvest is first-grade for export, a farmer with an acre could earn over sh7.8m. Harvests continue for at least 50 years.
What is hass avocado?
Hass avocado is an improved variety that flowers and fruits in two years. It has green pulp, a cone-shaped top and an enlarged bottom. The inner seed is rich in nutrients for humans.
It can also be used in the manufacture of medicine, body lotion and cosmetics. lIn the first harvest, the tree yields 80-150 fruits. As the tree grows taller and bigger, yields increase to 350-565 fruits per season. The trees can last for over 50 years.
- A three-year-old tree can yield 200-300 fruits. An acre can yield about two tonnes, which translates to sh7m per season.
- In the fourth and fifth years, yields reach about 8.5 tonnes, translating to a minimum of sh24m annually.
- It is a less risky crop compared to others, requiring low input and maintenance. It can be inter-cropped for six years, allowing the farmer to have seasonal income.
- The planting pattern is 5×5 metres. However, farmers are discouraged from using chicken manure and should, instead use cow or goat dung.
- Hass avocado has dark green, bumpy skin and is a large-sized fruit, weighing between 200g and 300g. When ripe, its skin turns dark purplish[1]black and yields to gentle pressure.
- Farmers can have two harvest seasons per year, and the tree’s lifespan is approximately 50 years. When ready to serve, the inner fruit turns a white-green colour in the middle.
- Potential health benefits of Hass avocado include improving digestion, reducing the risk of depression and offering protection against cancer. It is a naturally nutrient-dense food, with nearly 20 vitamins and minerals and is the only fruit that provides a substantial amount of healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids.
- Mono-unsaturated fatty acids are chemically classified as fatty acids, containing a single double bond (in contrast to polyunsaturated fatty acids, which contain two double bonds and saturated fatty acids, which have no double bonds).
Environmentally friendly
In addition to generating income, Hass avocado is an excellent venture for protecting the environment, as they are broad-leaved fruit trees that help restore degraded land.
Mugambwa and Katerega are promoting a community model, that encourages each homestead to plant at least 10 Hass avocado trees.
“With the available market, you only need 10 trees, which you can plant along your boundary. If each tree can generate sh150,000 a year, from 10 trees, you will earn sh1.5m annually. While farmers earn, the country will also benefit from foreign exchange for national development,” Mugambwa says.
They add that they have successfully promoted the 10-tree per homestead model in Ssembabule and plan to roll it out across the country. Under the programme, farmers receive seedlings and extension services.
“During the expo, we will talk about this model to the farmers and show them how.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: A worker in an avocado farm. Hass avocado is an improved variety that flowers and fruits in two year.