Kenyan avocado exports to China; what’s behind the 80% drop?

Following a strong start in the Chinese market, with a 6% market share secured in just one year after initial shipments, Kenyan avocado exports have fallen drastically this year. According to data from China Customs, Kenya shipped a mere 742,934 kilograms of the fruit to China in the first seven months of 2024, representing a remarkable decline of 80% compared with the same period of last year, when imports totaled 3,674,463 kilograms. Consequently, the earnings made by Kenyan avocado exporters for these shipments to China from January to July shrank to $1,232,149, a year-on-year decrease of 82% from the $6,830,140 registered for the same period of last year. Although China accounts for a minor share of Kenya’s avocado exports, local producers were previously hopeful that its large population would boost sales and lessen their reliance on the European Union. When talking about the Chinese market, which indeed has 1.4 billion potential consumers, one cannot disregard the low rate ...