Small scale avocado farmers may be locked out of the Kenya – China avocado export deal due to the stringent entry rules.
Kenya Plant health inspectorate Service officials say the pest and sanitary safety measure agreed upon by the two countries require farmers to have cold rooms and avocado processing plants to secure exports to China.
Avocado is grown in over 7,500 hectares of land in Kenya mainly by small scale farmers.
The stringent requirements bars selling of avocado in its raw form in a bid to control pest and disease from entering China.
Farmers will be required to ripen the fruit, remove the skin and seed before freezing the fruit at low temperatures before exporting the produce.
From May 7th to 8th, Dr.Guo Ce，Economic and Commercial Counselor visited Vertical Agro,one of the largest grower, processor and exporter of frozen avocado in Kenya. He toured the factory, learning about the producing process and the latest progress of exporting to China. pic.twitter.com/tQv0pFtrDr
— Chinese Embassy in Kenya (@ChineseEmbKenya) May 14, 2019
According to Kenya Plant health inspectorate Service officials, farmers must acquire modern coolants to preserve the fruit.
Farmers are being encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new export measures and apply for permits from KEPHIS so as to export avocados to China.
Small scale avocado farmers may be locked out of the Kenya–China avocado export deal due to the stringent entry rules. @KEPHIS_KE officials say the pest and sanitary safety measure agreed require farmers to have cold rooms and avocado processing plants to secure exports to China. pic.twitter.com/0pcIe59hVU
— Lucy Mwangi (@iamLucyMwangi) May 13, 2019
KEPHIS officials say licensed farmers will undergo continuous scrutiny and those found flouting the laid down standards will have their export licenses revoked.
” The avocado export deal signed when President Kenyatta met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing today enables Kenyan farmers to export their popular Hass avocados to China,”Statehouse posted.
The current local market prices for a 90-kilogram bag of avocado in selected markets across the country are as follows: 4,000 shillings in Mombasa, 2,600 shillings in Loitoktok, 2,200 shillings in Nairobi, 2,100 shillings in Eldoret, 2,000 shillings in Nakuru and 800 shillings in Kitale.
Avocado farming has increasingly been adopted in recent years by Kenyan farmers, especially smallholder farmers who account to over 70 percent of the total production.
Kenyan farmers are growing more and more Avocadoes to not only meet the local demand but that of the European market too and as a result, the country is now among the world’s biggest exporters of avocados and currently the world’s sixth largest exporter of the fruit.
President Uhuru Kenyatta also made a deal with Mauritius government that will see exportation of avocados and other fruits to their country.
According to Foreign Affairs CS Monica Juma, other Kenyan foods that will also access the Mauritian market include baby carrots and broccoli.
“Appreciating Kenya’s avocado that is now approved to get into the Mauritian market…” a tweet from Amb. Juma reads.