With the collapse of SGR loan hunt in China, Kenya was, however, showered with an alternative ‘mouth-watering’ deal that could see the Kenyan farmers export their harvested Avocado produces directly to the Chinese market. They termed the deal as the magic tricks that will change the lives of Kenyans.
Barely some days after the agreement, the first batch of Kenyan Avocado landed in China sending immerse hope to many Kenyan farmers across the country. This was however short-lived as the Chinese government started introducing a new set of rules to be met by the Kenyan avocados before being exported to China.
The Chinese government is indeed taking advantage of our clueless government to perpetuate their trading malpractices and insubordination with Kenya. What the President and his advisors failed to check was the conditions set out by the exploitative Chinese government.
The deal might be suspended cause of stringent conditions that the President and Chinese government agreed on. One of the 56 steps a farmer must go through involves the installation of machines and coolers for peeling and freezing of fruits ahead of export.
That means the farmer must have the means to acquire those expensive methods, the complications, and government bureaucracies will make it hard for small scale farmers to be fully compliant with all those 56 steps required.
That only means one thing, the deal is for middlemen, brokers and rich families. A small scale farmer won’t be in a position to reap good in the deal. At the end of the day, the same people won’t depend on Kenyan avocado farmer but will be keen to see where they will make a kill. It’s just a disaster despite most of our sovereignty as a country tied to those Chinese deals and loans.
The Chinese government is so clear on the suspension of the deal. Continuous suspension for none compliance issue will render the deal null and void and they have the right to cancel the deal.
I do agree with many of Mt Kenya brothers and sisters concerning this government. They have this belief that this government is the only government since independence that has made the businesses so difficult to do.