Agriculture and Meals Authority (AFA) have arrested 4 Lorries carrying immature avocados to Tanzania, exposing a decent syndicate of native recent produce exporters smuggling the fruits to neighbouring international locations regardless of the federal government’s ban.

AFA-Horticulture and Crops Directorate (HCD) confiscated 32 tonnes of avocados that have been within the strategy of being illegally exported to Tanzania.

In line with the Directorate’s Performing Deputy Director in command of Regulation and Compliance Collins Otieno  the consignment was being moved through highway from Kenya to Tanzania to facilitate export to different locations.

“We managed to grab the automobiles filled with immature avocados destined to our neighbouring nation.  The fruits are packaged in gunnery and polythene luggage that are opposite to the rules”, he mentioned.

At present,  he famous that  the nation is  but to renew harvesting of avocado after suspending the identical on November 3, 2023.

“Now we have been finishing up a survey for the final week in all of the rising counties to establish the maturity and estimated portions volumes,” mentioned Otieno,

Kenya has additionally on a number of events needed to battle the unhealthy picture occasioned by exported avocados which have gone unhealthy earlier than the additionally attain shoppers.

This has been attributed to the harvest and export of immature fruits, one thing {that a} phase of the trade mentioned is getting worse by the day and threatening to erode the positive factors that the native avocado fruit has made through the years.

Otieno says that within the latest previous there have been complaints that some merchants have been transporting immature fruits to Tanzania regardless of the suspension of shipments.

Simply three months in the past, the federal government warned that it  is not going to hesitate to cancel the licenses of avocado sellers who shall be discovered contravening guidelines and rules governing the transportation of the produce with these concerned in unlawful export of immature avocados risking  numerous penalties, together with cancellation of their licenses.

Some merchants are mentioned to have been exporting avocados by Tanzania which enjoys tax exemptions resulting from its categorization as a least developed nation not like produce shipped as Kenyan harvest that face import responsibility in some international locations.

The automobiles carrying the fruits saved in polythene and gunny luggage have been intercepted at Namanga border of Kenya and Tanzania by AFA safety officers on Thursday night.

Engaged on a tip off, the officers captured the vans that belong to completely different Nairobi primarily based transport firms and have been mentioned to have transported the fruits from one of many main producing counties.

Addressing media after verifying the Lorries, Otieno mentioned  that there are unscrupulous merchants working with brokers on the bottom who’re dishonest farmers to reap immature fruits.

AFA because the meals crops regulator Otieno defined has been very constant to make sure exporters adjust to the set rules.

Business gamers have additionally warned that the brand new development,  if not tamed may damage Kenya exports within the worldwide market the place it’s reputed for producing high quality fruits.

“AFA will proceed to reinforce implementation of the horticultural crops rules 2020 that even stipulates how avocados are speculated to be carried. Carrying the fruits in gunny luggage and polythene luggage enhances contaminations and equally the identical decay shortly.  Avocados are speculated to be transported in crates and cartons,” Otieno mentioned.

Investigations he confirmed are happening and the implicated transporter as soon as recognized shall be subjected to the set penalties together with his license revoked.

Final week the directorate deployed officers in all avocado rising areas to undertake a survey  with a view to analyzing portions and maturity ranges of the fruit earlier than uplifting a two month harvesting suspension.

Kenya is a outstanding avocado producer in Africa, with key export locations such because 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.

Final November 3, 2023, AFA suspended avocado exports for the 2023/2024 fiscal yr from Kenya to different export locations.

AFA board then argued avocado shipments to different segments of the worldwide markets have to fulfill present meals requirements and equally in incomes premium costs. The interruption particularly impacted the Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo avocado varieties, that are primarily cultivated by Kenyan farmers for export.

Avocado has been tipped to grow to be a serious international trade earner particularly after Kenya began exporting to India and China.

Gaining entry into these markets has propped the Kenyan trade, which has grown into being among the many high 5 exporters of avocados globally and the biggest in Africa.

In line with the AFA Yr E-book of Statistics, space underneath Avocado elevated from 26,561 Ha in 2021 to 27,807 Ha in 2022 whereas manufacturing was 455,279 MT up from 432,969 MT reported in 2021 accounting for a 5.2 % improve.  Farmers earned Sh12.6 billion in 2022 manufacturing yr in comparison with Sh12.4 billion in 2021.

By Wangare Ndirangu

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 Photograph Caption

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Pic 3  – Avocado packed  in polythene luggage in lorries and able to cross the border

Wangari Ndirangu’