Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) have arrested four Lorries carrying immature avocados to Tanzania, exposing a tight syndicate of local fresh produce exporters smuggling the fruits to neighbouring countries despite the government’s ban.
AFA-Horticulture and Crops Directorate (HCD) confiscated 32 tonnes of avocados that were in the process of being illegally exported to Tanzania.
According to the Directorate’s Acting Deputy Director in charge of Regulation and Compliance Collins Otieno the consignment was being moved via road from Kenya to Tanzania to facilitate export to other destinations.
“We managed to seize the vehicles full of immature avocados destined to our neighbouring country. The fruits are packaged in gunnery and polythene bags which are contrary to the regulations”, he said.
Currently, he noted that the country is yet to resume harvesting of avocado after suspending the same on November 3, 2023.
“We have been carrying out a survey for the last week in all the growing counties to ascertain the maturity and estimated quantities volumes,” said Otieno,
Kenya has also on several occasions had to battle the bad image occasioned by exported avocados that have gone bad before the also reach consumers.
This has been attributed to the harvest and export of immature fruits, something that a segment of the industry said is getting worse by the day and threatening to erode the gains that the local avocado fruit has made over the years.
Otieno says that in the recent past there have been complaints that some traders have been transporting immature fruits to Tanzania despite the suspension of shipments.
Just three months ago, the government warned that it will not hesitate to cancel the licenses of avocado dealers who will be found contravening rules and regulations governing the transportation of the produce with those involved in illegal export of immature avocados risking various penalties, including cancellation of their licenses.
Some traders are said to have been exporting avocados through Tanzania which enjoys tax exemptions due to its categorization as a least developed country unlike produce shipped as Kenyan harvest that face import duty in some countries.
The vehicles carrying the fruits stored in polythene and gunny bags were intercepted at Namanga border of Kenya and Tanzania by AFA security officials on Thursday evening.
Working on a tip off, the officers captured the trucks that belong to different Nairobi based transport companies and were said to have transported the fruits from one of the leading producing counties.
Addressing media after verifying the Lorries, Otieno said that there are unscrupulous traders working with brokers on the ground who are cheating farmers to harvest immature fruits.
AFA as the food crops regulator Otieno explained has been very consistent to ensure exporters comply with the set regulations.
Industry players have also warned that the new trend, if not tamed might hurt Kenya exports in the international market where it is reputed for producing quality fruits.
“AFA will continue to enhance implementation of the horticultural crops regulations 2020 that even stipulates how avocados are supposed to be carried. Carrying the fruits in gunny bags and polythene bags enhances contaminations and equally the same decay quickly. Avocados are supposed to be transported in crates and cartons,” Otieno said.
Investigations he confirmed are going on and the implicated transporter once identified will be subjected to the set penalties including his license revoked.
Last week the directorate deployed officers in all avocado growing areas to undertake a survey with a view to examining quantities and maturity levels of the fruit before uplifting a two month harvesting suspension.
Kenya is a prominent avocado producer in Africa, with key export destinations such as the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, France and Spain. In September 2023, Kenya deepened its presence globally after exporting the inaugural consignment of 400 kilogrammes of avocados to India.
Last November 3, 2023, AFA suspended avocado exports for the 2023/2024 fiscal year from Kenya to other export destinations.
AFA board then argued avocado shipments to other segments of the global markets have to meet current food standards and equally in earning premium prices. The interruption specifically impacted the Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo avocado varieties, which are primarily cultivated by Kenyan farmers for export.
Avocado has been tipped to become a major foreign exchange earner especially after Kenya started exporting to India and China.
Gaining entry into these markets has propped the Kenyan industry, which has grown into being among the top five exporters of avocados globally and the largest in Africa.
According to the AFA Year Book of Statistics, area under Avocado increased from 26,561 Ha in 2021 to 27,807 Ha in 2022 while production was 455,279 MT up from 432,969 MT reported in 2021 accounting for a 5.2 percent increase. Farmers earned Sh12.6 billion in 2022 production year compared to Sh12.4 billion in 2021.
By Wangare Ndirangu
Photo Caption
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Pic 3 – Avocado packed in polythene bags in lorries and ready to cross the border
Wangari Ndirangu’
