NAADS distributes Shs 4bln seedlings for macadamia and Hass avocado

KABAROLE – Government through the National Agricultural Advisory Services [NAADS] Secretariat has so far distributed to farmers planting materials for Hass avocado and macadamia worth Shs 4 billion.

Through the Nucleus Farmer Partnership Strategy, NAADS is partnering with eight large-scale producers of the two crops to help smallholders / out-growers have access to quality planting materials.

Through this strategy, the smallholder farmers will also get further agricultural support like; extension services, research and technology, storage, processing and value addition, market information, market, financial, and insurance services.

According to the NAADS executive director, Dr. Samuel Mugasi, through the co-funding arrangement, the beneficiary farmers pay 30 percent of the cost of the seedlings while government through NAADS Secretariat pays 70 percent.

He said each Hass avocado seedling costs between Shs 7,500 and Shs 8,500 while each macadamia seedling costs between Shs 10,000 and Shs 11,000.

“We have moved away from distributing free planting materials and adopted the cost sharing approach because it helps to avoid wastage of materials, promotes ownership by farmers and sustainability of the intervention,” explained Mugasi.

Mugasi added that when NAADS used to distribute free inputs, some farmers would leave them to dry up on their verandas since they attached no value to them.

Bernard Sabiiti, a large scale Hass avocado farmer in Kanara Sub-county in Kitagwenda district, commended government for supporting Hass avocado farming, saying it has potential to increase Uganda’s foreign exchange earnings.

“I started Hass avocado farming in 2020 during covid-19 lockdown and currently, I have 275 acres with plans for expansion. With government on board, we are now confident that we will get the right technical guidance and any other support in this business,” Sabiiti said.

He said in the three years he has grown Hass avocado, he has earned good money from the agricultural enterprise, adding that the market for the fruit is available all the time.

For Julius Bigabwa of Biglad Agro-tourism farm in Kabarole district, macadamia growing is now a family business and plans to expand his orchard since it is earning good money for the family.

“Currently I have nine acres of macadamia but with government subsidising the cost of the seedlings, I plan to acquire more land and expand. I am earning good money by adding value to macadamia but the biggest challenge is that production is still very low. We need many farmers to come on board and plant this crop,” Bigabwa said.

Facts

Currently, macadamia and Hass avocado are some of Uganda’s emerging non-traditional cash crops with enormous potential to contribute not only to the growth of the agricultural sector but increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings and improve household incomes.

Macadamia is the most popular and expensive nut in the world today with an oil content of up to 67 percent while Hass avocado has over 14 percent oil. Hass avocado has a high global demand and was valued at US$ 12.8bln in 2019 and is expected to rise to US$17.9bln by 2025.

Through NAADS, government is promoting and scaling up the production of these emerging high-value strategic commodities by working with large-scale farmers with land holdings of 50 acres and above to meet both local and export demand.

This strategic intervention is being implemented under a memorandum of understanding [MOU]. Parties to the MOU include NAADS Secretariat, the Nucleus Farmer/Farm, and the District Local Government in which the Nucleus Farmer is located and has a concentration of activities for the out growers.

Implementation of this intervention started during Season 2022B and was in part guided by findings and recommendations of a baseline study conducted early last year.

In this current planting season, NAADS has distributed over 300,000 seedlings of Hass avocado and over 140,000 seedlings of macadamia to farmers across the country.

Government targets to increase the production of the two crops to tap into the world market.

https://thecooperator.news/farmers-urged-to-grow-hass-avocado-and-macadamia/

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