Kenya has announced the resumption of avocado exports after the horticulture agency lifted a four-month ban on the export of produce. This comes following the fruits’ maturation in farms, coming as a relief to farmers and exporters. The horticulture regulator had banned the export of the two popular avocado varieties (Fuerte and Hass) in November 2020 to curb the harvesting of immature crop.
The Directorate of Horticulture allowed the resumption of export of Fuerte variety on 15th February, and the Hass variety on 8th March.
The move comes as a boost to foreign earnings as avocados account for half of the total returns from fruit exports owing to high demand in the overseas market. Most of the consignment is currently heading to Europe, one of Kenya’s major markets for avocados, with some exported to the Middle East.
Kenya’s earnings from avocado exports rose by 40% to KSh14 billion during the 12-month period ended October 2020, according to data from the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK). The country exported 68,000 tons in the review period, a 15% increase from 59,000 tons for the same period in 2019.
According to the data, Kenya is the world’s third-largest producer of avocados. With a market share of 2.1%, Kenya was ranked 8th globally in 2019 in the export of avocados behind Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Spain, Chile, Colombia and the US.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing avocados exporters since 2015 were: Colombia (up 1,607%), Dominican Republic (up 424.2%), Morocco (up 206.6%) and Kenya (up 161.5%).
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