Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service in talks with US, and South Korea to absorb avocados glut

Kenya's agricultural produce quality assurance agency has opened talks with five countries, including the US and South Korea, over markets for Kenyan avocados to absorb an expected glut in coming months. The move by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) aims to ensure the fruits planted under the rapid expansion plan five years ago, get access to international markets and save farmers from possible losses. Kephis managing director Theophilus Mutui said the market is expecting a glut as more fruits are projected to hit the market following the expansion of land under avocado in the last five years as non-traditional counties such as Trans Nzoia, Bungoma and Uasin Gishu embraced the crop. Read: Directorate suspends two firms on immature avocado export claims Prof Mutui said they are in negotiations with the US, South Korea, Jordan, India and Mauritius to add on the existing European and Middle-East markets that are currently major destinations for Kenya’s produce. “We are ...