Brief Description
Avocado (Persea Americana), is a tropical tree fruit crop which originated in Central and South America and now widely distributed in the tropics. In Rwanda, the fruit it is grown in all the regions with Southern province leading followed by Western, Eastern, Northern and the least being Kigali City. The crop is grown for both local consumption and export. The crop is a good source of income for farmers besides earning foreign currency.
- Type of varieties grown in Rwanda: Hass, fuerte, Ettinger, Booth, Choquette and collisson, Nabal, Puebla, Reed, Simmonds, Pinkerton and Bacon. The most popular varieties for export in Rwanda are Hass and fuerte.
- Cultivation locations in Rwanda: Although Avocado crop is grown all over the country, it is predominantly found in Gisagara, Huye, Nyagatare, Nyanza and Rusizi districts.
- Climatic conditions for growth: In Rwanda, Avocado trees do best at moderate warm temperatures between 15ºC to 30ºC with moderate humidity. Avocado is moderately drought tolerant and thrives well in areas with an annual precipitation of 1000 -1200 millimeters. In Rwanda Avocado trees are planted in March through June.
- Soils: In Rwanda, Avocado grows in a wide range of soil types ranging from deep, fertile, well-aerated, sandy or alluvial loams with neutral or slightly acid pH values (pH 5 to 7)
- Destination: Dubai, France, the Netherlands, and the Middle East
