Increasing Production and Export of Kenyan Avocados

Published 2019년 10월 16일

The production and export volume of Kenyan avocado has been increasing rapidly in recent years. Despite the increased availability of Kenyan avocados, due to the strong global demand for avocados, the price has also been increasing.

Increasing Production

Avocado production in Kenya has been increasing significantly in the last few years. More farmers are planting the fruit due to the growing international demand and higher profitability compared to other tropical fruits. In addition, the Kenyan government actively supports the domestic avocado industry: the government provides free avocado seeds and training and also promotes the fruit in the global market.

According to Primax Agencies Ltd, a Kenyan avocado exporter, around 100K tons of avocados were harvested in the country in 2019, which is approximately a 10% increase from 2018. Furthermore, there has been a favorable amount of rainfall in 2019, and as a result, production is expected to increase even more in 2020. The avocado season in Kenya is between February and August, and rainfall during the previous year affects the soil for the following year, thus affecting the production and quality in the following year.

Approximately five years ago, the production of avocados in Kenya showed an even distribution between the Hass and green-skinned varieties. However, due to Hass’ popularity in the global market, production distribution has tilted in favor of the Hass variety. Compared to green-skinned varieties, the Hass avocados also have a longer shelf life and take longer to ripen, which makes the Hass variety easier to export to overseas markets.

Increasing Exports

Kenyan avocado export volume has also been increasing. In 2018, over 70K tons of avocados were exported from Kenya, which is more than a 20% increase from the previous year. Kenya mostly exports its avocados to European and Middle Eastern markets. The biggest markets for Kenyan avocados are the Netherlands, the UAE, Spain, and Russia. Similarly, the main export destinations for Primax Agencies Ltd are the Netherlands, France, and Russia. Although there is an overall preference for Hass varieties, Russian importers are more open to importing green-skinned varieties such as Fuerte avocado, compared to other markets. After attending Asia Fruit Logistica 2019, the company is also planning on expanding to Asian markets such as Hong Kong.

Despite the increase in avocado production volume, Primax Agencies Ltd’s export price has been increasing due to increased demand from France, Russia, and the Netherlands. In 2018, a 4kg box of avocados was priced at 4.00 USD. However, in 2019, the price of a 4kg box has been between 5.00 USD and 5.50 USD.

In the summer of 2019, Kenya and China signed a trade deal allowing frozen avocados to be exported to China. The company, however, is not currently pursuing the Chinese markets.