Murang’a avocado farmers have decried the theft of their avocado fruit causing them to incur huge losses and have proposed stiffer penalties to curb the menace by deterring the perpetrators.
This comes at a time when the farmers are up in arms against the newly introduced levy on the fruit at the farm gate.
The disgruntled farmers note that if the government does not act fast, avocado farming may face the challenges that crippled coffee, which many ditched for the green gold.
Speaking in Murang’a, the Chairperson, Avocado Growers and Sellers’ Association, Joseph Wanjohi Mukuria, urged parliament to come-up with laws that will protect the avocado farmer from unscrupulous dealers and farm produce theft.
“When we take an avocado thief to the court, they are mostly charged with petty theft that attract very lenient fines,” he said.
“For the benefit of farmer, parliament need to review these laws and change the farm produce to a serious crime whose perpetrators will receive a hefty fine or even imprisonment “he added.
Mukuria observes that a traceability procedure if put in place would cushion the avocado farmer from theft as one would be required to give a history including the location of the fruit.
“Middle men and brokers are a farmer’s worst nightmare and if they are eliminated, buyers would buy directly from the farm ensuring maximum profit,” stated Mukuria.
The farmers further urged the County government to support avocado farmers by availing agricultural extension officers, who will guide them on the best farming practices for better return on investment of their avocado fruit.
In 2022, the County Assembly of Murang’a had proposed a Bill that if passed into law, would protect avocado farmers from theft of their produce and mismanagement and mismanagement by unscrupulous dealers.
The Bill, that is yet to undergo the third and final reading, had proposed that any person who is found stealing avocado fruit from growers or from collection centers and selling the produce, will be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh.500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both.
Consequently, the Bill had considered quality assurance, where anybody that harvests the fruit before it reaches maturity, will be liable of a fine not exceeding Sh. 100,000 or imprisonment for a period of up to six months or both.
The Bill would also promote best standards, practices, transportation, storage, processing and marketing of the fruit by ensuring a traceability system to track and trace the history and location of the avocado produce.
By Florence Kinyua
