Avocado farmers in Nyandarua County have appealed to the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) to review its directive halting avocado exports from October 20, 2025, warning that the decision could adversely affect their income despite the authority’s good intention of protecting fruit quality and safeguarding Kenya’s international market reputation.
The farmers argued that the blanket ban should be replaced with a zonal or regional assessment approach guided by scientific maturity tests, as climatic differences across the country influence the rate at which fruits mature.
Speaking during a consultative forum in Ol Kalou, farmers said Nyandarua’s cooler climate allows avocados to mature later than in other regions, and therefore, a uniform export suspension penalizes those whose fruits are ready for export.
“Our appeal to AFA is to conduct maturity assessments in different growing zones instead of issuing a national ban. Some regions have fruits that are already mature and suitable for export,” said one of the farmer representatives.
He added, “Such a regional approach would balance fruit quality control with farmers’ economic needs.”
Nyandarua County Chief Officer for Agriculture, Samuel Gitaka, said the county government is working closely with AFA and other stakeholders to ensure compliance with export standards while supporting farmers to increase productivity.
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He noted that the county has embarked on a program to train farmers on proper harvesting, post-harvest handling, and packaging practices to maintain the quality and competitiveness of Nyandarua avocados in the international market.
“We are committed to ensuring that Nyandarua becomes a hub for high-quality tree fruit production. Our partnership with AFA aims to protect the reputation of Kenyan avocados while ensuring that farmers benefit from the lucrative export trade.”
Kenya remains one of the leading exporters of avocados to Europe and the Middle East, earning billions of shillings annually.
However, periodic export bans are often imposed to curb the harvesting of immature fruits, which can harm Kenya’s market reputation.
Farmers, however, insist that a targeted, science-driven approach would help maintain quality standards while safeguarding their livelihoods.
By Our reporter
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