Agriculture and Food Authority enforces the Crops (Horticulture Crops) Regulations, 2020 to ensure that only mature avocado is harvested and exported in order to sustain and grow Kenya’s international markets and minimize interruption of the crop cycle occasioned by harvesting immature fruits that results in reduction of projected volumes in subsequent harvests.
The avocado harvest and export by sea was suspended with effect from 25th October 2024. The Authority has continued to monitor avocado maturity trends and patterns and a survey on off-season crop carried out in late November 2024, established that there were insufficient production volumes to warrant lifting of the suspension then. Another survey for main-season crop conducted between 20th and 23rd January 2025 indicates that sufficient volumes of Fuerte and Pinkerton varieties are available in some regions. However, Hass variety main season crop is not yet ready for harvest in all the major production regions in the country.
This therefore is to notify that:
- The opening of Fuerte and Pinkerton harvesting season for sea shipment will commence effective Friday, 14th February 2025. Export clearance for Fuerte and Pinkerton then, shall be granted subject to packhouse inspection only.
- The export of Hass will continue by air shipment, except for large own farms or large contracted farms having sufficient volumes of mature off-season crop. Export clearance by air shipment shall be granted subject to packhouse inspection only.
- Export clearance for Hass off-season crop by sea shipment for large own farms or large contracted farms having sufficient volumes of mature off-season crop, shall be granted subject to both farm and packhouse inspection.
- Exporters found attempting to export the Hass variety by sea shipment, purpoted to be the Fuerte variety (and thus evading the requisite farm inspection), shall have their Export Licences suspended for the 2025 Avocado export season.
- This notice applies to all exporters, importers and processors of avocado fruit.
The Authority will continue to monitor the main season Hass avocado maturity trends and patterns and will convene a stakeholders’ consultative meeting to review the closure notice. In view of this, the avocado stakeholders’ consultative meeting that was scheduled for Monday 27th January 2025 is therefore rescheduled to a date that shall be communicated later.
