· In a bid to capitalise the global shortage of Avocado, Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) the horticulture regulator of Kenya has opened the export window for avocado to overseas markets.
· It has allowed farmers to export Fuerte variety from March 4 while harvesting and export of Hass avocado will commence on March 18.
There is a shortage in the global supply of Avocado as Mexico and Peru, the top world producers are off-season. In a bid to capitalise the global shortage of Avocado, Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) the horticulture regulator of Kenya has opened the export window for avocado to overseas markets. It has allowed farmers to export Fuerte variety from March 4 while harvesting and export of Hass avocado will commence on March 18. A survey conducted by the regulator and other stakeholders has shown that at least 20 to 30 percent of the fruits are ready for harvesting. The harvesting of Avocados was prohibited four months back to curb the harvesting of immature crop and safeguard quality of Kenyan exports and markets abroad. Many traders picked young crops to capitalise on high prices of the commodity at the international market. Kenya’s avocado market in the Middle East was hit badly in 2018 following the export of immature crop to that continent.
The prevailing high prices of Avocado is expected to fetch good earnings for Kenya. In the horticulture sector, Avocado has been a top contributor for Kenya’s export earnings accounting for nearly half of the total returns from fruits. Last week, China, a key market for Kenya, allowed Kenya to export fresh avocado. The export order was achieved after four years of lobbying.
