Nakuru pushes sustainable avocado farming, eyes China market

The Nakuru County government has renewed a campaign to revitalise avocado farming, with eyes set on the Chinese and other international markets.

This comes after Kenya started shipping fresh avocados to China last month, in line with a bilateral agreement signed some years ago, marking a significant milestone in economic and trade relations.

Nakuru has started training farmers to enhance the competitiveness of avocado value-added products with an eye on the export market.

The venture, a partnership with the Avocado Society of Kenya (ASOK), mainly targets smallholder farmers, who are also being trained on export processes, quality planting materials, proper farming techniques, farm mechanisation and accessing reliable market links and affordable credit facilities.

"We want to focus on the Chinese market instead of selling the crop to brokers at throwaway prices. Brokers buy the fruit for about Sh10 and Sh15, reaping huge profits at the expense of farmers,” said Nakuru County Agriculture Chief Officer Kibet Maina.

Also set to benefit are large-scale farmers.

“The county government’s partnership with the Avocado Society of Kenya is critical in ensuring the success of a sustained campaign launched three years ago by outgoing Governor Lee Kinyanjui to revitalise avocado farming as the devolved unit seeks to tap into the Chinese and other international markets,” Mr Maina added.

The county government has in the past two years distributed over 500,000 seedlings of the Hass and Fuerte avocado varieties to Kuresoi South, Njoro, Gilgil, Molo, Nakuru East, and Nakuru West sub-counties.

“So far, farmers have been trained on good harvest and post-harvest handling practices of the fruit. We have identified avocados as a potential income earner for our farmers due to the high demand both locally and internationally,” Mr Maina said.

China is expected to offer farmers a direct market abroad, eliminating brokers.

Nakuru, regarded as a key bread basket in the Rift Valley region, is banking on direct sales of its farm produce to foreign markets and value addition to boost her revenue base.

The county is also one of the leading producers of potatoes, milk, vegetables and other crops.

Kenya exported avocados worth Sh10 billion in the 2018/19 financial year, according to data from the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (Kephis).

The European Union accounted for 42 per cent of the market, while the Middle East came in second at 28 per cent.

Avocados are the fourth most important national fruit crop in Kenya, and have grown to represent 17 per cent of the country’s total horticultural exports.

Nakuru Agriculture executive Immaculate Maina has challenged farmers to move from subsistence farming and penetrate the high-value export market, besides joining cooperatives for easier access to services and to market their produce.

“Nakuru has initiated plans to ensure we export avocados to China and other markets abroad. I urge farmers to seek ways of optimising their production,” Dr Maina said.

The county, she said, is committed to rescuing farmers from poor markets by helping them harvest quality farm produce.

Nakuru has the potential to feed Kenya, East Africa and other countries with potato, avocado and carrot demands, she said.

Several foreign investors have expressed interest in starting value-addition factories in Nakuru to promote the processing of produce.

On July 27, Kenya started shipping fresh avocados to China, in line with a bilateral agreement signed by the two nations.

The second batch of avocados was exported on August 2.

This came three years after President Uhuru Kenyatta inked a deal with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on avocado exports.

At least 15 firms have been cleared by Kephis to export avocados to China following stringent inspection of their facilities.

More than three million Kenyan smallholder farmers who grow avocados are expected to benefit from greater access to the Chinese market.

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