For many years, Europe and the Middle East have depended on avocados imported from the South American countries of Peru, Mexico, Colombia and Chile to satisfy their avocado appetite. But the supply is not enough. It is for this reason that avocado farming is booming in Ethiopia.
As Ethiopia turns into one of the leading avocado producers in Africa, it means more consumers in international markets will enjoy delicious Ethiopian grown avocados with their meals. Ethiopia is strategically located between Europe, the Middle East and Asia and that’s why avocado farmers want to capitalize on this opportunity.
Although Ethiopia is an ecologically diverse country, many parts have climatic conditions that are good for avocado growing. The south and southwest of Ethiopia experience high rainfall, ranging from 1,000-2,200mm, and humidity. These areas are between 1,500m and 2,500m a.s.l where temperatures range between 16°C and 30°C.
Ethiopia has plenty of arable land for both avocados and other cash crops. As of 2018, arable land was reported at 16,187,000 hectares. Soils in the Western and Eastern highlands of Ethiopia are suitable for rain-fed avocado farming because they are formed from volcanic material. There is also a potential of 1.6 million hectares of land for irrigation.
The number of farmers growing avocado to be sold in the market has been increasing rapidly. According to the Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia (CSA) Ethiopian Socioeconomic Survey of 2018/19, there are close to 1.2 million commercial avocado farmers. Most of these farmers own about one to two hectares.
Avocado Farm in Ethiopia
When planting an avocado farm, here are the steps to follow:
- Prepare the land by removing stumps 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 well-decomposed manure
- Fill back the soil-manure mix
- It is now time to transplant your avocado seedling. Farmers are advised to transplant during the start of the rainy season. In Ethiopia, it is at the end of June.
- Remove the polythene, plant the avocado seedling carefully and firm the soil around the hole
- Water well
The recommended spacing for a commercial avocado farm in Ethiopia is 6m by 4m from one tree to another and from one row of trees to another. But there are farmers who still do the traditional spacing of 7m by 7m.
Avocado Yield per Hectare in Ethiopia
416 avocado trees can be planted on one hectare in Ethiopia. Avocado trees start bearing fruits after three to four years. One tree can yield about 50kg. A bountiful harvest can be between 20 and 22 tons per hectare. At a minimum price of 11 Ethiopian birr per kilo, a farmer can earn up to 242,000 Ethiopian birr.
Hass Avocado Seedlings in Ethiopia
Avocado farmers are advised to buy Hass avocado seedlings from private nurseries that are certified by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR.) Government Agricultural Research Centers found in different zones across the four avocado growing regions also distribute Hass avocado seedlings.
The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) trains smallholder farmers on how to cultivate avocados especially the commercial varieties like Hass. It also distributes seedlings at its nursery stations, creates market links and currently supports about 53,000 smallholder farmers scattered around the country.
Ethiopia Avocado
Many avocado farmers in Ethiopia intercrop their avocado with crops such as coffee, maize, banana and cabbage especially at the early stages. They also don’t use chemical fertilizers or pesticides and fungicides but instead practice organic farming. Although Ethiopia grows avocado mainly for the domestic market, there is a rising shift towards the global market.