Bonface Otieno, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke has more than 10 years of experience in reporting business, finance, economy, markets and aviation. He provides insights into Kenya and Global trends.

The Agriculture Food Authority agency (AFA) will resume the harvesting of Hass variety of avocado and export on March 17, coming as a big relief to farmers and exporters.

The directorate, however, said that Hass avocado exports by sea will only be permitted subject to mandatory packhouse inspections.

"Following further surveys, the authority has established improvements in maturity of the Hass variety in major production regions of the country and therefore guides as follows.

"The harvesting of avocado (Hass variety) for exports by sea shipment will come into force from 17th March 2025," said AFA director-general Bruno Linyiru in a statement.

The avocado harvest and export by sea shipment for Furtes, Pinkerton and Hass was initially suspended on October 25, 2024 to allow the crop varieties time to mature in the market.

However, a survey conducted by the authority revealed that while Fuerte and Pinkerton varieties had reached the desired maturity levels for export, Hass avocados were not yet ready.

Consequently, the export of Fuerte and Pinkerton varieties by sea shipment was permitted starting February 7, 2025.

Following recent surveys, the AFA-HCD confirmed an improvement in the maturity of Hass avocados across Kenya’s major production regions, paving the way for the resumption of exports.

The Directorate however said that going forward, Hass avocado exports by sea will be permitted, subject to mandatory packhouse inspections.

Exporters will also be required to apply for these inspections at least three days prior to shipment, with authority's inspectors overseeing the process to ensure only mature avocados are exported.

Additionally, exporters must submit a list of their Horticulture Produce Marketing Agents (HPMA) by March 15, 2025, and are required to work only with marketing agents who hold valid registration certificates.

The authority has also emphasised proper transportation methods, warning that exporters or agents found transporting avocados without crates or in open pick-up trucks or Probox vehicles will face penalties.

This measure aims to enforce compliance with horticulture regulations, ensuring that avocados meet both regulatory and market standards throughout the production and post-harvest handling processes.

"Fruits sourced from other East African Community (EAC) member countries will be subjected to the same requirements in addition to having relevant import documents," said Linyiru.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke