Ugandan farmers to adopt apple growing

When agricultural researchers started trials for apple growing in the highlands of western Uganda, many local farmers refused to take them seriously. The climate in these highlands, which are close to the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and stand at 2,100 metres above sea level, has also proved suitable for growing plums and pears.

The farmers believed that apples could only thrive in countries with cold climates but today, research shows that apple trees can do well in other parts of Uganda that experience a hot climate.

Mr Ronald Tenywa, the coordinator the Apples for Hot Climate project, says they trained and distributed seedlings from the USA to over 100 local farmers under pilot testing.
“We have trained farmers to ensure pest-free farms for the seedlings to grow well. These seedlings are developed from the United States of America, but we also took some to Kawanda Research Station for multiplication,” Mr Tenywa says.

He adds that apple growing is cheap to maintain, but helps farmers to ensure constant income generation through selling fruits as well as juice extraction. Apples have proved the tastiest fruits around and they are also juicier compared to the ones imported into the country.

Mr Kevin Hauser, an agriculturalist based in the United States, says apple varieties grow well in hot climate despite high heat and that will fruit productively without any chilling. “My research on apple growing in a hot climate, I discovered that they are grown extensively in the tropics where they are quite productive,” Mr Hauser explained in a report to Agriculture Minister, Ms Hope Mwesigye.

The Proprietor of Kuffel Creek Apple Nursery in Califonia, says that the move is to help tropical countries like Uganda to develop their own apple industries both for economic as well as culinary enjoyment.

Agricultural research shows that Ugandan apple growers have an advantage over fruit farmers in Europe or South Africa because their proximity to the equator means they can produce two crops per year instead of one.

Uganda’s apples command higher prices than tropical fruits such as pineapples and passion fruit and today farmers supply the domestic market as well as the neighbouring countries of Burundi, DR Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. Presently, apple seedlings are imported from Germany and South Africa.