Kenya has surpassed South Africa to become Africa’s top exporter of avocados. In the central region in particular, where the majority of the country’s small-scale avocado farmers are found, coffee bushes are fast being replaced by avocado trees.
However, the major problem surrounding this new production is theft. Avocado thieves are forcing farmers in the county to form vigilante groups to guard their crops.
Murang’a county is the country’s top producer of avocados and many farmers there are uprooting other cash crops like coffee and tea to plant avocados The billion-dollar avocado industry has been fuelled by surges in international interest, health and wellness experts now call it a super fruit.
Kenya is currently the world’s third-largest producer of avocados. It is the country’s leading export fruit. Last year, the East African nation overtook South Africa to become Africa’s top exporter of avocados.
Read also; Kenya Earmarks Malaysia Markets with Avocado Diversification Plan.
