06/04/2025
Hello, farmers!
🥑 *HASS AVOCADO GROWING* 🥑
🧦Hass avocado can be grown anywhere in Uganda. Farmers are advised to plant Hass avocado during the start of the rainy season. There are two rainy seasons in Uganda. One is at the end of February or early March and the other one is in August.
*PLANTING*
👇🏿Here are the steps to follow;
▪️ Prepare the land by removing stumps, clearing bushes and plough the land up to 30cm
▪️Dig holes 2ft by 2ft by 2ft.
▪️Separate the top soil and the subsoil.
▪️Mix top soil with Half kg (500gms ) of Biochar manure
▪️Fill back the soil-manure mix.
▪️Remove the plastic bag, plant the Hass avocado seedling carefully and firm the soil around the hole.
▪️Water well
*Hass Avocado Spacing*
👉🏾The recommended commercial spacing of Hass avocado is 5m by 5m from one tree to another and from one row of trees to another. With this spacing, one acre can hold up to 160 Hass avocado trees.
*FIELD MANAGEMENT*
🎓 There are some key field management practices that need to be done to raise up healthy Hass avocado trees.
*Mulching*
👉🏾Applying mulch around the trees will prevent loss of soil moisture and control the growth of weeds.
*Irrigation*
👉🏾Irrigation should be done after the first shoot appears. Water is crucial in the first three months of tree development and the fruiting cycle.
*Pruning*
👉🏾Pruning is done at the early stages before flowering to remove premature flowers and fruits and after harvesting.
*W**d control*
👉🏾Regular weeding should be done so as to reduce competition between the tree and weeds for water and nutrients.
*Fertilizer Use*
👉🏾Apply Biochar organic manure ( water retention product) or well dried cow dung , goats dropping when the tree is two years old. It should be applied twice a year during the onset of the rains.
*PESTS AND DISEASES CONTROL*
🥑 The Hass avocado cultivar is highly resistant to pests and diseases and adverse weather conditions.
🕺🏼In Uganda, the use of pesticides and fungicides is a last option for most avocado growers. They mainly go for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) methods that combine biological, physical and cultural methods. Some of the major pests that affect Hass avocado are;
_Avocado thrips_
_Fruit flies_
_False codling moth_
_Scales_
👉🏾The common diseases that affect Hass avocado include:
✍🏽 *Root rot* is a fungal disease that is caused by poorly drained soils and mostly occurs in areas prone to flooding. Trees have pale-green and wilted leaves and the branches are sunburned and die back. It is controlled by uprooting affected trees. It can be prevented by keeping trees dry and treating seeds for propagation with hot water and fungicides.
✍🏽 *Anthracnose* is a fungal disease that attacks the fruit. The fruit develops dry, dark brown spots leading to abnormal development. Mature fruits are most likely to be attacked but young fruits also drop. It is controlled by proper orchard sanitation and use of fungicides.
*Hass Avocado Yield per Tree*
🥑 Hass avocado matures and yields faster than other avocado varieties grown in Uganda. The first harvest comes after two and half - three years.
🥑One Hass avocado tree can produce 100-300 fruits after three years with good agronomic management. A mature Hass avocado tree can produce 700-1200 fruits after five years. The yield rises up to 3,000 fruits per tree after 10 years.
👉🏾Yield per tree increases gradually year after year as the tree gets older. Proper weeding, pests and disease control and maintenance of trees will yield more fruits per tree.
*Hass Avocado Export Market*
🥑 Uganda currently exports Hass avocados via air to:
👉🏾The EU (flight time of seven hours)
👉🏾The Middle East (flight time of six hours)
👉🏾The United Arab Emirates (UAE) (flight time of six hours)
🥑Uganda’s proximity to potential markets like China, Japan and India makes the price of its Hass avocados more competitive than countries like Mexico and Chile which supply these markets.
🥑Hass is the best-selling avocado worldwide because of:
▪️Its rich, smooth taste
▪️Its medium size which makes it easy to pack
▪️Its long shelf-life (two to three weeks at room temperature)
▪️Its thick skin which lessens the risk of damage during transportation
*For*
Biochar organic Manure
Hass avocado seedlings
Organic pesticide
Get us on;
0761501126
0784366283(WhatsApp)
0707109013.
At Kawanda Mayanja, behing NARO HEADQUARTERS.
Enjoy your Sunday
