Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) has announced a ban on the sea export of avocados.
The decision, as stated in a notice, aims to allow avocados to mature fully before export.
The ban is primarily directed at Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo avocado varieties, which are predominantly produced for international export.
“Following the findings of the survey, we hereby notify Kenyan avocado stakeholders that the closing of Hass, Pinkerton, Fuerte, and Jumbo harvesting season and export by sea for the 2023/2024 fiscal year shall be in force with effect from November 3, 2023,” AFA’s Director-General, Willis Audi, stated.
The ban is exclusive to avocados exported via sea, implying that the agency will still allow air shipments. Kenya is recognized as one of Africa’s leading avocado producers, exporting to markets such as China, France, Spain, Turkey, the UAE, and the European Union.
The country annually exports around 20,000 metric tonnes of avocados, with China being the largest market.
The new directive won’t impact avocados from other East African markets, but the AFA will implement measures to trace fruits exported by air to ensure they are not prematurely shipped, which could result in suspensions in foreign markets.
“Export clearance (including fruit consignments from the EAC region) shall be granted for air shipment, subject to inspection by the Directorate. Traceability information will be required for all consignments,” The agency noted.