Uganda is one of the countries where you can start any business without restrictions. Tree planting is one of the businesses you can start with small capital and make sweet profits after the harvest. The question of whether the business is profitable is not debatable after witnessing several farmers in Uganda make millions from the business.
The business requires patience because it takes at least five years to harvest the trees. It also requires at least 1 acre of land, which is not hard to acquire in Uganda.
The first thing to do is to select the best tree to plant. From experience, Pine, Cyprus and Eucalyptus trees tend to do well in Uganda. But Eucalyptus requires more water and it should, therefore, be planted away from rivers and water harvest areas.
After planting your trees, you will wait for at least three years to start making an income. The trees can be sold to the Ugandan government for electricity poles.Here; per single pole you will make at least Ush 200,000 from a single pole.
A one acre piece of land can produce at least 100 poles. You can do your math to determine how much you will make from a single sale.
Apart from electricity poles, you can sell the trees so that they can be used for timber. The trees can also be used for charcoal and as a fence.
In short, compared to small businesses Ugandans engage in, tree planting is a more profitable business. What is encouraging about this is the fact that the business does not need much labor-once you plant your trees, you simply wait for them to mature as long as there is sufficient water and the land is fertile.
Tree planting is also alternative to the common farming that most Ugandans practice. Instead of engaging in non profitable cash crops like coffee, tree planting can boost you financially.