Kenya considers full tests on all avocado export consignments as part of a strategy to tackle rising concerns over the quality of its shipments in the international markets, amid intensified rivalry by global producers such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
Currently, the government only tests samples of avocados for exports –a position that the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) considers ‘inadequate’ in ensuring 100 percent quality standards for Kenyan fruits.
“In terms of testing for quality and particularly avocado we are currently doing sampling for every consignment and probably the sample we are taking is much lower compared to the entire consignment,” Christine Chesaro, acting director, Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) told this publication.
“We are looking at maybe the possibility of creating or investing in equipment that will enable us to do 100 percent testing that gives the assurance that every fruit that has gone through that machine is good, and can be exportable. This will increase our chances (in the international market).”
Kenya exported 114,073 tonnes of avocado in 2023 representing a 9.71 percent growth from the 103,969 tonnes exported in 2022 and contributing 24 percent of the total horticultural exports, according to data from AFA.
Total horticulture exports grew by 19.6 percent to 468,438 tonnes from 391,507 tonnes in the same period.
Kenyan avocados destined for Europe are however facing challenges for full access to the markets, largely as a result of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) despite the implementation of the EPA, which took effect on July 1, 2024, allowing duty-free access to the EU.
The EU has the highest expectations for food safety globally, with strict rules on plant health, Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and contaminants. It requires avocados to go through plant health checks before entering the 27-member bloc.
The plant health inspection must take place in the country of origin and the shipment must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate, guaranteeing that the avocados are properly inspected, free from quarantine pests, within the requirements for regulated non-quarantine pests, and practically free from other pests.
Ms Chesaro said the government is working towards tightening quality standards for fruits.
“We are working towards enhancing those services to ensure that Kenya is sending a 100 percent quality fruit to the international market. We are having discussions with the stakeholders to see how we can step up our practices, in a way that will ensure that every fruit that leaves Kenya meets quality standards,” she said.
“We are currently at number five globally in terms of the global supply of avocado and we stand a better chance if we improve on our quality. I’m not saying that we are badly off but there is room for improvement by enhancing quality.”
Major global suppliers of avocados include Mexico, Colombia, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Indonesia.
The Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK), an industry lobby group representing growers, exporters, and service providers in the horticulture industry, however, raised concerns about the capacity of HCD to implement a full-testing plan for fruits.
“From where I sit, the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)’s AFA Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) cannot do full testing of all the containers. Where will they get the staff to do that. They don’t even have enough equipment at the moment,” said Hosea Machuki, Chief Executive, of FPEAK.
“As far as I’m concerned the trouble is we have challenges in terms of handling avocados and sometimes we have unscrupulous exporters who export premature avocados. But the main challenge now is the Red Sea crisis that has increased transit times from 28 days to beyond 40 days meaning by the time the fruit arrives (in the European ) 30 days later when it is already over-ripe.”
According to FPEAK Kenyan avocados are losing competitiveness in the global markets because of poor quality (premature fruits) and prolonged transit times which also impact the quality (over-ripe fruits).
“What is happening is that every buyer in the market is looking at avocados from other competing countries like Peru and Mexico and only buying avocados from Kenya as the last resort,” said Mr. Machuki.
The volume of Kenya’s avocado exports to the recently reopened lucrative Chinese market plummeted by 80 percent this year (2024), with Chinese customs data showing the volume of avocado imports from Kenya shrunk to just 742,934 kilogrammes in the first seven months of the year compared with the same period of last year (2023(, when imports totaled 3,674,463 kilograms.
In September last year (2023) Kenya flagged off the first consignment of avocados to India following bilateral negotiations between the two countries but exporters say the 30 percent duty imposed by India on Kenya’s avocados in New Delhi is frustrating the trade.
“I think the first initiative that we are taking is capacity building. We are working with the counties to capacity build our farmers and everyone in that space (production space), to be able to know one the economic practices that will give us quality fruit, then the harvesting that includes post harvesting because one of the challenges is our ability to harvest and send mature fruits,” said Chesaro.
“So the first one is capacity building and from our regulatory point of view as a regulator, we give export permits to every consignment and one of the things that we look at before we clear every consignment for shipping is ensuring that it meets the quality standards, particularly in terms of maturity of the avocado.”
