Carrying out a search on Agricultural land You want to buy in Uganda

Many Agricultural land buyers have faced a number of problems after they have acquired land some of whom with their life savings.Buying Agricultural land in Uganda is not a one day transaction.You should go through the following steps before going into a transaction.

Step one.
Visit the land you want to buy and take a walk through first to see whether it can support your Agricultural project.For example,if you want to plant trees,you need to find out whether its fertile enough.
You should also ascertain whether it has squatters or not.If it has squatters,talk to the land lord to know his arrangement with them.

Step two.
Ask for a photo copy of the land tittle and take it to the area land office for a search on the details which are on the white page.At the lands office,they will give you a search letter which has the following;
1)True owner of the land
2)Total acreage of the land
3)Whether the land has encumbrance or not.

Step Three.
When you are satisfied with step 2,then go back to the place/village where the land is found and carry out an independent search on the ground.This will involve talking to the Local Councils(LCs),elders and neighbors to find out whether there is no other person having claim on the land.These people are a very important resource.

Step four.
Engage your own lawyer to draft a sales agreement.He should also prepare transfer forms which the landlord should sign as you hand over the money to him.The landlord should avail his passport size photo together with a copy of his/her valid ID.

Step five.
Start the transfer process.

Done deal.
You are now a landlord!.

Land and Forests as a sustainable resource

Deforestation has a devastating effect on the planet and on people's livelihoods in the long term. We are no longer able to maintain the Earth's delicate balance due to the amount of CO2 that cannot be processed and is accumulating in the atmosphere, causing a wide variety of side effects such as: increase in temperature, changes in rainfall patterns, severe droughts, changes in insect population, damage to soil quality, etc. The list goes on. In order to slow down the effects and start a path to regaining balance, forests need to be a sustainable resource. Replacing what we harvest will enable us to manage our resources better and still provide the population with wood to meet their needs.

At Forest and Land Resources(U) Ltd,we accelerate this by assisting our clients to get affordable land for Tree planting and improved Commercial Tree seedlings in Uganda.

Contacts:
Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd
College of Computing and Information Sciences,
Block B,Level 6,Makerere University.
Kampala-Uganda
Tel:+256-752-829024/706-434315/787-262725.
http://www.forestandlandresources.blogspot.com/

Forest area (% of land area) in Uganda

Forest area (% of land area) in Uganda was last measured at 14.95 in 2010, according to the World Bank. Forest area is land under natural or planted stands of trees of at least 5 meters in situ, whether productive or not, and excludes tree stands in agricultural production systems (for example, in fruit plantations and agro forestry systems) and trees in urban parks and gardens. 

Decline trend of  forestry sector in Uganda.

 

The table above shows the declining trend of forestry in Uganda.This in spite of the increasing demand for forest products and the fact that Ugandan tree growers are set to beneffit from Clean Development Mechanisms(CDMs).

Some of the best investment areas today in Uganda are Land and forestry.You will never go wrong if you put your savings as an investment in these areas.

In case you are interested in Agricultural Land and improved Tree Commercial seedlings in Uganda,kindly contact;

 Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd

Tel:+256-752829024/706-434315/787-262725

Website: wwww.forestandlandresources.blogspot.com

A non Ugandan can own or acquire Agricultural land in Uganda.

I have received several inquiries from non Ugandans on whether they can own agricultural land in Uganda.My answer has been a very big YES.So,if you are a non Ugandan and you want to come and practice agriculture, ie grow trees,coffee etc on a very large scale,just catch the next flight and come to the pearl of Africa.You will get agricultural land on a lease of 99 years with automatic renewal.

This land is especially in central Uganda mainly in the districts of Luwero,Nakaseke,Nakasongola,Mpigi,Wakiso,Masaka,Kayunga,Mukono etc.

For further Information contact,

Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd.

College of Computingand Information Sciences,

Block B,Level 6,Makerere University.

Tel:+256752829024/706-434315/787-262725

Email:deokibe@gmail.com.

Website:http://www.forestandlandresources.blogspot.com/

Forest & Land Resources (U) Ltd

Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd is a Social Business started with aim of promoting Agriculture specifically  Tree growing in Uganda. We do this through provision of cheap and accessible Agricultural land improved tree species to our clients. e believe that our work will greatly impact our society through preserving of the environment and creating of employment to the community.

Learn more about our services here.

Uganda Forest Information and Data.

According to the U.N. FAO, 15.2% or about 2,988,000 ha of Uganda is forested, according to FAO. Uganda had 51,000 ha of planted forest. Change in Forest Cover: Between 1990 and 2010, Uganda lost an average of 88,150 ha or 1.86% per year. In total, between 1990 and 2010, Uganda lost 37.1% of its forest cover, or around 1,763,000 ha. Uganda's forests contain 109 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass. Biodiversity and Protected Areas: Uganda has some 1592 known species of amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles according to figures from the World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Of these, 1.1% are endemic, meaning they exist in no other country, and 3.1% are threatened. Uganda is home to at least 4900 species of vascular plants. 7.3% of Uganda is protected under IUCN categories I-V. You too can make a difference by engaging in forestry in Uganda. You will not only contribute in preserving the environment, but you will also benefit financially by selling carbon credits or even selling your trees when they have matured. Cheap land for forestry is readily available in any part of the country you may want to plant. It goes for as low as $ 307 per acre. Contact Forestry and Land Resources on +256-752-829024/706-434315/787-262725.Email:deokibe@gmail.com,Skype:deokibe. Lets invest, earn as we preserve our environment.

Indian Investors buy farmland in Africa.

Farmland in Africa are going cheap and Indian investors are buying.. Did you know that the flowers which were used during the inaugural of World Cup 2010 in Johannesburg came from the Ethiopian rose gardens of Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi. Karuturi, a Bangalore businessman who has been acquiring land in African nations, has already become the biggest rose grower in the world, and one of the world’s biggest private land owners. Interestingly, he also owns Karuturi Sports, a Kenyan football club (earlier called Sher Agencies) that plays in the country’s premier league. What Karuturi started a few years ago has opened the floodgates for many Indian corporates. Several Indian companies have already leased land in Africa and many others too are eyeing opportunities in commercial agriculture in different countries in the continent. “In many cases, Indian companies that already have a presence in Africa are looking at getting involved in the agricultural sector, even if they are not intrinsically farming majors. There are companies, which are doing large infrastructure projects, that are offered land holdings usually on lease. To enter commercial agriculture, such companies will have to look for expertise within the farming community,” says Shipra Tripathi, director and head of CII Africa. The Tata group has been given a land lease in Uganda to run a pilot agricultural project, while the Jaipurias of RJ Corp have a lease of a 50-acre model dairy farm. The latter is already active in dairy products in African markets such as Uganda and Kenya. Construction major Shapoorji Pallonji & Co has acquired the lease for 50,000 hectares of land in Ethiopia and may look at agricultural projects in future. And it’s not just large Indian companies, small and medium enterprises in sectors ranging from spices and tea to chemicals are looking at entering the commercial agriculture space in Africa. There are roughly about 70 Indian companies which are already in the process of making a foray into the farming sector in Africa. The countries which offer big opportunities include Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Liberia, Ghana, Congo and Rwanda. Various Indian tea companies, for instance, are making a beeline to acquire estates. BM Khaitan-owned McLeod Russel India, the largest integrated tea company in the world, has already taken the acquisition route with Uganda’s Rwenzori Tea Investments which it bought for $25 million. The acquisition is being carried out through Borelli Tea Holdings of the UK, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of McLeod Russel India. The Rwenzori Tea Investments has six estates within its fold and can produce 15 million kilogrammes of tea annually. Punjab-based farmers, who are known for feeding the Indian population, now want to try their hands offshore, with a group of progressive farmers all set to acquire 50,000 hectares of farm land on lease in Ethiopia for growing high-value cash crops, including pulses and maize. “We will be inking a deal with the Ethiopia government for getting at least 50,000 hectares of area for growing crops like pulses and maize, which will be exported to India and Europe,” Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers President Sukhjit Singh Bhatti said. What encouraged these potato growers to try their hand at farming overseas was availability of fertile land at almost throwaway rates, duty free imports of capital goods and the zero duty on farm exports offered by Ethiopia. The ambassadors of various African countries, including Tanzania and Uganda, also visited Punjab recently and encouraged farmers from the state to till the land in their countries. “Vast tracts of arable land are lying vacant. The land is fertile, the climate is suitable and water is abundant. Also, both land and labour are cheap,” says Punjabi farmer Jaswinder Singh. Punjabi farmers are scaling up their small Indian farms into large African plantations in Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal and Mozambique. The profit opportunities are huge, with growers exporting rice, wheat, sugar cane and lentils back to Indian and European markets. And it’s not just individual farmers taking part – even large Indian agri-companies like Karuturi Global (a rose producer) and Rana Sugars are moving to the area. From the Indian perspective, it seems like an ideal situation. INVESTMENTRETURNS. Agriculture is the Africa’s most important economic sector – it still employs more than half the labour force yet remains one-fourth as productive as its counterparts around the world. One recent survey of this huge sector concluded that part of that productivity gap can be explained by the fact that nearly two-thirds of Africa's agricultural land has been degraded by erosion and misused pesticides. In Ethiopia, 85 per cent of the land is damaged. Correcting this damage is therefore critically important – agriculture contributes at least 40 per cent of exports, 30 per cent of GDP, up to 30 per cent of foreign-exchange earnings, and 70 to 80 per cent of employment. Get it right, and the wider economic benefits could be huge – the UK-based Overseas Development Institute points out that of the 30 fastest growing agricultural economies, 17 are in Sub Saharan Africa. Little wonder then that overseas investors have started to take notice. CRU, a small fund management firm, recently launched a Malawi-based fund called Africa Invest. The retail-orientated fund can be accessed for as little as £4,000. The fund has made an initial investment of £2 million in 2,000 hectares of land that's producing paprika for western supermarkets. With land prices starting at £800 per hectare it's relatively easy to amass large farms that can be upgraded with new technology, mechanisation and better production methods. Annual returns on capital are expected to exceed 30 to 40 per cent. A much larger version of this scheme is being marketed by hedge fund Emergent. It's targeting a total return of 400 per cent over the next five years, partly due to the phenomenal rising land values, investment in better technology to improve productivity and the introduction of a new form of farming called no till agriculture. To demonstrate the potential, it's been running a trial 7,200 acre project over the last three years that's showed an average 33 per cent annual gain in output from soft agricultural products and a total return of 120 per cent. The company points out that the return was based on much lower historic soft commodities prices, which have nearly doubled in recent years. This fund believes that returns on equity for maize should be 35 per cent a year, and 25 per cent for soybeans. Emergent isn't the only player in the agricultural space – palm oil companies are very active in West Africa and Lonhro has also spotted the potential to provide capital, technology and know-how to Africa's farming sector. “More and more, the world will look to Africa to be its breadbasket, and I hope that when the world looks… it is Africans and African farmers who will profit from becoming the world’s breadbasket,” said Hillary Clinton during her recent visit to Africa.

Acquiring Agricultural/Farmland in Uganda.

Agriculture is the back-borne of Uganda's economy. According to the 2010 Household survey, 80% of Ugandans are employed in the Agricultural sector.Unfortunately, majority do it on a small scale/subsistence basis. They claim that they don't have resources to acquire large pieces of land, something i don’t agree with. There is just lack of information. At Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd, we assist you to get Agricultural/Farm land at as low as UGX.800, 000 ($307) an acre depending on the distance from Kampala (For starters, an acre of land is 100mx400m which is an equivalent of a football pitch). This land is currently in the Districts of Luwero, Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Kayunga.We are also on the ground in other Districts of Masaka, Mubende, Kiboga, Mityana, Lwengo, Sembabule and Mukono.These areas are found in Central Uganda.We currently have a square mile(645 acres),in Luwero,another one is in Nakasongola and another one in Nakaseke plus several 100acres,200acres,150 acreas,80 acres spread in those areas. This is very fertile land and accessible. For those in the Diaspora, this is one of the best ways you can invest home and remember land appreciates in value. You can buy several acres now and keep it for some time after which you can decide to develop it yourself or dispose it off at a profit. If you have saved some money and have been thinking of what to do with it, my advise to you is to acquire this cheap land in several acres and either invest directly by planting Commercial trees, coffee etc.or speculate and sell it at a later date/time when it has appreciated in Value. For more information, please contact us; Forest and Land Resources (U) Ltd. Tel: +256-752-829024/706-434315/787-262725. Email:deokibe@gmail.com Skype: deokibe Contact Hours: 7:00AM-7:00PM (East African Time)

Land Tenure System in Uganda.What you should know.

The Land Tenure Systems in Uganda

There are four types of land tenure systems recognized by the Constitution of Uganda;

1. Customary
2. Mailo
3. Freehold
4. Lease hold.

Freehold.

The Land Act 1998 defines ‘freehold tenure’ as a tenure that derives its legality from the Constitution and the written law. Freehold tenure may involve either a grant of land in perpetuity, or for a lesser specified time period. The Act specifies that the holder of land in freehold has full power of ownership of it. This means that he or she may use it for any lawful purpose and sell, rent, lease, dispose of it by will or transact it in any other way as he or she sees fit. Only citizens of Uganda are entitled to own land under freehold tenure. Non-citizens may lease it for a period up to 99 years.

Leasehold.

 

Leasehold tenure is a form of tenure whereby one party grants to another the right to exclusive possession of land for a specified period, usually in exchange for the payment of rent. Any owner of land in Uganda – whether through freehold, Mailo or customary tenure – may grant a lease to another person. In practice, much of the land that is leased was previously owned by government bodies, particularly the Land Commission and the District Land Boards, and these tend to impose some development conditions on the land’s subsequent use.

MailoLand.

 

The Land Act 1998 treats Mailo tenure almost identically to freehold tenure. Registered land can be held in perpetuity and a Mailo owner is entitled to enjoy all the powers of a freehold owner. The only significant difference is that Mailo owners should not use these powers against the interests of customary tenants, bona fide or lawful occupants. This provision was introduced due to concern at the possible mass eviction of thousands of people who were occupying Mailo land, as customary tenants or squatters, at the time when the Act was passed

 

Customary Land.

One of the most innovative aspects of the Land Act 1998 is in the recognition it gives to those who hold their land under customary tenure. With the exception of land in Buganda (which is mainly held under Mailo) and urban areas (where it is held under freehold, or leasehold) most land in Uganda is held under customary tenure. The 1995 Constitution restored recognition of the rights of those who held such land and the Land Act explicitly recognized that customary law should regulate this form of land tenure. There are a number of different types of customary land tenure in different parts of Uganda. In some places the land is held communally, in some it belongs to a particular clan while in others it is held by individuals. The rules of customary law also vary in different parts of the country. The Land Act 1998 states that customary land tenure shall be governed by rules generally accepted as binding by the particular community. Anyone who acquires land in that community shall also be bound by the same rules. The exceptions to this are that no custom is permitted which is ‘repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience, or being incompatible either directly or indirectly with any written law’

At Forest and Land Resources(U) Ltd,we will carry out a search on a given land and advise you accordingly before you invest in with your money.