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Kenya's Avocado Farmers Eye Chinese Market, But There's a Catch

Rael Ombuor

   MURANGA COUNTRY, KENYA - Kenyan farmer Alexander Muchiri tends 30
   avocado trees he planted seven years ago on his farm in Muranga County.

   In previous years, most of his avocados were sold locally, providing a
   modest income for him, his wife and five children.

   Then in April, Kenya signed a deal to export avocados to China, making
   Kenya the only African nation to sell the fruit to the huge Chinese
   consumer market.

   With that in mind, Muchiri says he will scale up production by planting
   more trees.

   He says if they plant more avocados, there will be a market for them.
   In previous years, brokers would come, pick the larger fruits and leave
   the smaller ones on the farms with no one to sell to, Muchiri said,
   wasting lots of fruit.

   Potential buyers visit

   About 2 kilometers from Muchiri's farm, Beatrice Mugure inspects her
   300 avocado trees. She used to grow coffee on her eight-acre farm but
   switched to avocados a few years ago as the price of coffee dropped and
   the market for avocados expanded.

   Her avocado trees are about three years old, Mugure said, and are
   giving her their first fruits. She says potential buyers have come to
   her farm several times to check the avocados and pick samples, and they
   will be coming back for the harvest.

   The potential buyers Mugure is talking about are private exporting
   companies.

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