The Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries, through the National Agricultural Advisory Services (NAADS), has launched Uganda’s first export of fresh Hass avocados to Spain by sea.
The shipment, organized in partnership with value chain actors, avocado associations, and farmers, is spearheaded by Avotein Farm, led by Hani Dahlan of Spain. The container will depart Uganda on November 21, 2024.
The global demand for Hass avocados has surged, making it one of the world’s most sought-after commodities. While Uganda has been exporting small quantities of fresh avocados and value-added products like avocado oil to the United Arab Emirates and parts of Europe by air, this marks the first significant shipment by sea.
Dahlan shared that the goal is to scale up exports to two containers per week and reach an annual target of 32 containers. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at Balagi Agro Industry in Kawanda, NAADS Executive Director Dr. Samuel Mugasi praised Balagi Agro Industries for developing a packhouse that enables Uganda to export avocados under its own national flag.
“As a country, we’ve been producing Hass avocados for some time, but they’ve often been exported under neighboring countries’ flags due to the small scale of production. Today marks the beginning of exporting avocados proudly under our own flag,” Mugasi stated.
He encouraged avocado farmers to invest in Hass avocado cultivation, assuring them of secure markets for both fresh fruit and processed products. “The Ministry has established the structures to support this innovation, providing systems to access markets, so no farmer should worry about the future of avocados,” he added.
Linda Auma Agness, Chairperson of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, celebrated the move, dubbing Hass avocados “green gold” for Uganda. She emphasized the potential of this agricultural innovation to contribute toward the country’s Vision 2040 goals, including the ambitious target set in the National Development Plan IV to grow exports from $50 billion to $500 billion in fifteen years.
Auma encouraged Ugandan farmers to embrace Hass avocado cultivation to increase the nation’s production and export capacity. She highlighted that in the last three years, more than seven factories have been established to add value to Hass avocados, but demand still outpaces production.
Brendah Katarikawe, Director of Markets for the Presidential Advisory on Exports and Industrial Development, noted that over the past five months, Uganda’s avocado exports have averaged $830,000, despite global demand exceeding $4 billion. She affirmed Uganda’s potential to meet the government’s 2028 export goal of $6 billion, focusing on market expansion, infrastructure, and export financing for farmers.
Since August 2022, NAADS has distributed avocado seedlings to smallholder farmers as a subsidy to boost commercial agriculture and promote wealth creation. Agriculture remains a cornerstone of Uganda’s economy, serving as a primary source of livelihood and foreign exchange. Following Avotein’s shipment, Avricado Farm is set to send its first container in early December, with additional exports to follow.The National Avocado Federation of Uganda (NAFOU) projects that this venture will not only lower freight costs but also create a broader market for Uganda’s avocado and agricultural products.
