The Butajira Fruit Nursery and Training Center, Ethiopia blended imported species with local ones producing short trees that are ready for harvest within three years. Avocado species and technology were imported from Israel through financing from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The blended species is resistant to disease, bears fruit annually for an estimated fort years and bears fruit that is uniform and softer than local types said Amerga Menji Manager of the Nursery.

The uniformity of the fruits enhances their potential for export he explained. Increased export ultimately boosts the nursery’s ability to earn foreign currency according to Amerga.

The center expects a quintal of produce from the first harvest translating to 3,000 tons of avocados in the first year of harvest from the blended species.

One kilo of avocado fruit currently retails for about 10 birr on the local market.

The success at Butajira is being replicated in Oromiya, Amhara and Tigray Regional States said Amerga.

The Butjaira center is selling seedlings for 20 to 25 birr a seedling to farmers. The nursery sells the seedlings for 20 birr to farmers in the Southern Regional State and 25 birr to farmers in the rest of Ethiopia to cover overhead and transport costs incurred by the center explained Amerga.

Farmers are also being trained to plant seedlings on their own farms for sell he added. This is expected to earn additional revenue for the farmers according to Amerga.

The nursery is equipped to produce 50,000 seedlings annually.

Source: Capital