Cost to Establish and Harvest an Acre of Trees
Updated 3 November 2026 · Land & Property editorial team
Seedlings alone for an acre of eucalyptus at 2.5 by 2.5 metres cost about UGX 194,000 to 1.6 million, using August 2026 consultant prices for about 647 plants. We found no verified, dated figure for labour, protection or harvest, so those are listed as questions to price locally. Planting also needs land and years of waiting.
- Seedlings per acre at 2.5 m x 2.5 m
- About 647 (4,047 square metres divided by 6.25)
- Seed-grown eucalyptus seedling
- UGX 300-900 each (EUCA Eco Consults, August 2026)
- Clonal eucalyptus seedling
- UGX 800-2,500 each (same source)
- Labour, protection and harvest
- No verified dated figure; ask for written local quotes
How much does it cost to plant an acre of eucalyptus?
The cost has two parts, the plants and the work. For the plants we have a dated consultant range. EUCA Eco Consults published indicative prices in August 2026 of UGX 300 to 900 for a seed-grown eucalyptus seedling and UGX 800 to 2,500 for a clonal (GU or GC) seedling, and UGX 300 to 900 for a pine seedling. The page cites no source and says the ranges are indicative and not a price list. A Ugandan acre is 4,047 square metres, so the number of plants depends on spacing. The table below is our own arithmetic from those ranges, for seedlings only.
| Spacing | Plants per acre | Seed-grown at UGX 300-900 | Clonal at UGX 800-2,500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 m x 2 m | about 1,011 | UGX 303,000 to 910,000 | UGX 809,000 to 2.5 million |
| 2.5 m x 2.5 m | about 647 | UGX 194,000 to 582,000 | UGX 518,000 to 1.6 million |
| 3 m x 3 m | about 450 | UGX 135,000 to 405,000 | UGX 360,000 to 1.1 million |
These cover plants only. EUCA's rotation guide assumes 2 by 2 metres for firewood, 2.5 by 2.5 for scaffold and building poles, and 2.5 by 3 or 3 by 3 for utility poles, which it puts at 8 to 12 years on a good, weeded site. That is one consultant's view and it cites no external source. Always add replacements for plants that die.
What about labour, weeding and protection?
We could not verify a dated per-acre figure for labour in Uganda, so we give the work and not a made-up price. The usual items are:
- clearing the site and lining out the planting rows;
- digging planting holes and planting, ideally at the start of the rains;
- weeding, with first-year weeding assumed in EUCA's rotation guide;
- replacing dead plants, a few weeks after planting;
- protection against fire, with firebreaks and watching through dry seasons, and against termites and animals in drier areas;
- thinning and pruning if the plan is for sawlogs.
Get at least two written quotes from local contractors for each item, per acre, and ask what the quote includes. A newspaper estimate or a promoter's budget is not a quote. For loss rates and insurance we found no verified data, so we do not give any.
What does it cost to harvest an acre?
Harvest costs are the buyer's concern in a trees-only sale, but they shape the price you can get. They include felling, trimming and cross-cutting, hauling the stems to a road, loading, transport to the mill or plant and any permits. We found no verified dated rate in Uganda for these steps, so we do not quote one. If you are a seller, ask the buyer in writing who pays each item and by what date. If you are a buyer, deduct them from what you are willing to pay for the stand. See How Long Harvesting an Acre of Trees Takes for how long the work can take and why the harvest deadline is negotiable with the seller on our listings.
The buyer also needs a lawful way to move the trees. The NFA FAQ says any tree outside a Central Forest Reserve is regulated by the District Forest Officer, that harvesting should follow a management plan, that it is advisable to inform the nearest forestry office before cutting, and that a permit fee applies to harvested timber for trade but not for personal use. Phone the District Forest Officer for the current rule before cutting.
Is it cheaper to buy a mature forest than to plant?
On the numbers we can verify, seedlings are a small cost next to the asking price of a mature stand, and the real cost of planting is time and land. Take a mature eucalyptus stand. InfoNile reported in August 2024 that an acre of mature eucalyptus, about 200 trees, sold for as little as UGX 6 million after the export ban, with a mature 10-year-old tree at UGX 20,000 to about 30,000. Against that, seedlings for a new acre cost under UGX 2.5 million on our table, plus labour and protection. But a new acre needs land, and years before the trees reach a grade a buyer wants.
| Question | Plant your own | Buy a mature stand |
|---|---|---|
| Land | You need land to plant on | Not included; trees only |
| Time to first income | 3 to 5 years for firewood, 8 to 12 for utility poles (EUCA view) | Harvest after purchase; deadline negotiable with the seller |
| Cost known upfront | Quotes for plants and labour | A count and a grade; you pay the seller |
| Main risks | Fire, pests, poor survival, weak prices | Wrong count, price at harvest, access to the stand |
Neither route guarantees a profit. This is information, not financial advice. Use Trees per Acre by Species and Spacing to check a seller's count and How Much Is My Eucalyptus Worth? to price a stand. Read who buys eucalyptus trees before you plant for poles.
Why do forest listings split land price from tree price?
Because they are two different things with two different owners' interests. On Land & Property a forest listing sells the trees only. The land is not included. The listing shows acreage planted, price per acre, estimated number of trees, price per tree and tree age. The buyer pays for the crop and gets the right to harvest it by an agreed date. The seller keeps the land and can plant again or use it. Comparing the price per acre on a forest listing with the price per acre of land, as in Land Prices in Uganda, November 2026, mixes a crop with the ground it stands on, so do not do it.
The NFA FAQ gives a related rule for licensed plantation land. Transferring land allocated for tree planting is not allowed, but a licence holder may cancel the licence and transfer the planted trees to another party if the new party accepts the same conditions. That is the legal reason a trees-only sale can be the cleaner route on licence land.
What terms matter when leasing land to plant trees?
If you plant on someone else's land, the lease decides who gains. We found no Ugandan standard lease for tree planting, so use these questions:
- Term against rotation. The lease should outlast the full rotation, including any second crop from coppice, or the trees may belong to the landowner at the end. For poles at 8 to 12 years, a five-year lease does not work.
- Rent or crop share. Fixed rent each year, a share of the crop at harvest or a mixture. Write down how the crop is measured and sold.
- Who owns the trees. Say it in the lease, with the right to enter and harvest and remove the crop.
- Boundary. The NFA FAQ recommends planting at a distance equal to the mature height of the species.
- Registration. Have a lawyer check the lease and whether it should be registered, and confirm the lessor's title first.
If you would rather skip planting and own a stand already growing, browse forest and tree listings, read Eucalyptus Trees for Sale in Uganda, start from Forest Trees for Sale in Uganda for the full process, and you can book an escorted forest visit before you pay. As of 3 November 2026 we hold no forest listings yet (Land & Property listings, Nov 2026).
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to plant an acre of eucalyptus?
Seedlings alone cost about UGX 194,000 to 582,000 for seed-grown plants or UGX 518,000 to 1.6 million for clonal plants at 2.5 by 2.5 metres (about 647 per acre), using August 2026 consultant prices. Labour and protection are extra, and we found no verified dated figure, so get local quotes.
Is it cheaper to buy a mature forest?
It can be, if you only count plants, but planting also needs land and years of waiting. A 2024 report put an acre of mature eucalyptus at as little as UGX 6 million after the export ban. On Land & Property a forest sale is trees only, land not included. Neither route guarantees a profit.
How many trees go on an acre?
It depends on spacing. An acre is 4,047 square metres, so 2 by 2 metres gives about 1,011 plants, 2.5 by 2.5 gives about 647 and 3 by 3 gives about 450. In EUCA's rotation guide, closer spacing suits firewood and wider spacing suits utility poles.
Do I need a permit to cut trees I planted?
The National Forestry Authority FAQ says trees outside Central Forest Reserves are regulated by the District Forest Officer, harvesting should follow a management plan, it is advisable to inform the nearest forestry office, and a permit fee applies to timber for trade but not personal use. Phone the District Forest Officer before cutting.
How long should a land lease for trees last?
At least the full rotation of the crop you plant, which is 8 to 12 years for eucalyptus utility poles on one consultant's estimate and 15 to 18 years for pine (UTGA chairman, 2021), plus any coppice crop you want. We found no standard Ugandan lease, so have a lawyer draft one and check the lessor's title.
Sources
- Tree prices in Uganda (indicative ranges, August 2026), EUCA Eco Consults (accessed 2026-11)
- Eucalyptus rotation age in Uganda (August 2026), EUCA Eco Consults (accessed 2026-11)
- Museveni timber export ban bites, technocrats blame Chinese veneer processors, InfoNile (accessed 2026-11)
- Frequently asked questions, National Forestry Authority (accessed 2026-11)
- Trees can be lucrative business, says Oketcho, Daily Monitor (accessed 2026-11)