The Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has stopped the export of some avocado varieties to prevent harvesting of immature fruits in efforts to comply with international quality standards.
AFA, through its Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), issued a notice to all avocado and mango exporters and the value chain players to stop harvesting popular avocado varieties that are Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo for sea shipment for the 2024/2025 fiscal year on Friday, October 25, 2024.
AFA Director General Bruno Linyiru said that the directive was arrived at to help in curbing the sale of unripe fruits and ensure the protection of Kenya’s share in the international markets.
“Following the closure of the avocado harvesting season and export by sea, some exporters have resulted in mixing consignments of mango with avocado for sea shipment contrary to the Crops (Horticultural Crops) regulations, 2020 Section 20(5),” said Linyuri.
He explained that AFA-HCD has been monitoring harvesting trends and recently undertook a countrywide survey in the major avocado production zones to determine current production trends and forecast future production for the main season next year.
“The findings of the survey indicate there are currently insufficient volumes of main-season crops to warrant sea shipment,” said Dr. Linyiru.
“This is therefore to notify you that the closing of Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo harvesting seasons for sea shipment for the 2024/2025 fiscal year will come into force with effect from Friday 25th October 2024. The export of the varieties will continue by air shipment.”
The director added that export clearance shall be granted subject to inspection by the directorate, with traceability information being required for all consignments.
“The notice applies to all exporters, importers, and processors of avocado fruit. The directorate shall continue to closely monitor avocado maturity trends and patterns and review the notice in the first week of December 2024 and guide appropriately,” he added.
On mango export Linyiru stated the end of the avocado harvesting season coincides with the onset of the mango harvesting season.
“All produce for export is required to undergo inspection by the directorate before an export certificate is issued, as provided in the Crops (Horticultural Crops) regulations, 2020 section 29 (1 and 2),” he emphasised.
Kenya exports fresh mango mainly to the Middle East market, with all quantities of processed fruit (dried) to the Netherlands, UK, and Italy, amongst others.
All mango exporters are therefore notified to ensure that the quantity of mango being exported for which the permit is being sought fully constitutes mango fruits in the consignment.
The mango value chain players, he said, should apply for physical inspection of mango consignments through directorhcd@afa.co.ke (copy to hcdtechnical@gmail.com). The application should clearly state the location of the packing house to facilitate inspection.
Subsequently, mango exporters are required to demonstrate compliance with the stated guidelines, without which an export permit for the consignment shall not be issued.
By Joseph Ng’ang’a
