Abstract:

Kifu Nursery was operationalized and expanded in 2006 by the Gatsby Tree Biotechnology Project with the purpose of commercialising clonal eucalyptus. The technology was transferred from Mondi Forests in 2002, demonstrated to planters and the public to uptake through field trials and with a research component managed by National Forest Resources Research Institute (NaFORRI) to determine what clone was suitable for which ecological zone, the growth rate and susceptibility to diseases. The planting materials generated by Kifu Nursery enabled the set tip of two other satellite nurseries in Mhale and Form Portal in 2007. The clones have been accepted h) National forestry AuthorM NFAI and Sawlog Production Grant Scheme (SPGS) as good planting material and farmers have demonstrated keen interest in planting. The combined nurseries have a total of 46,000 ramets. Each of the nurseries will now he expanded to 20.000 ramets per nursery and the setting up of a new nursery at Kahanynin ot 20,000 ramets. In implementing, this expansion, the (latch): Tree Biotechnology Project will strengthen its structure in form of a limited liability company wholly owned by Uganda Gatsby Trust to produce 1.5 million plantlets per annum by 2012. Equity investment will be sought for further capitalization. The company will be managed by a Board of Directors through a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with core competences in management, forestry and tree biotechnology. Each nursery will be managed by a competent manager responsible for cost effective production and meeting of predetermined targets and ensuring profitable sales of planting materials that guarantees continuity and profitability of the nursery operations. Marketing section will ensure that extension advice is given to planters as part of customer care. In the setting up of the Kifu Nursery, there was importation of hybrid and pure clones and matching them to site, which was successful. The clones produced set up the trials and the satellite nurseries. Feed back from planters is that the clones purchased from satellite nurseries and Kifu are doing very well and are fast growing which presents the opportunity of increasing production and coverage area. The adoption of low cost humid tunnelling technology has yielded economy in infrastructure requirements and simplified propagation which now enables rolling out and increasing production to supply the market in Uganda. Tree planting as an industry is mostly for pine which is monopolised by NFA and roadside. nurseries but their combined production do not satisfy the national demand for seedlings. Uganda needs the establishment of more than 10,000 ha per annum of fast growing trees to offset deficits caused by tree destruction for fuel wood, saw log timber and charcoal. With a growing trend in investment in forestry picking up through commercial planters, private plantation establishment through SPGS and farmer woodlots, there is a ready market for the clones. The clones are fairly well established in the market with acceptance from Ministry of Water and Environment, SPGS, NFA and Farm Income Enhancement and Forestry Conservation Project as suitable materials for planting. All production of planting materials have always been sold out although the price of Shs. 350 is higher compared to pine at shs.300 and sometimes below.