Kakuzi Plc has announced free Hass avocado maturity testing services at its Murang’a County packhouse, starting Monday, March 17, 2025, to coincide with the opening of the 2024/2025 avocado export season.

The initiative, aimed at supporting smallholder avocado farmers in the Mt. Kenya region and beyond, will be available at Kakuzi’s packhouse near Makuyu town. 

This comes after the Agriculture and Food Authority-Horticultural Crops Directorate (AFA-HCD) confirmed that Hass avocado harvesting for sea-bound exports will officially begin on March 17, 2025.

“The export of immature fruit for whatever reason can be disastrous... To mitigate this risk, Kakuzi continues to support smallholder farmers through several initiatives, including fruit testing to ensure compliance with global quality standards,” said Managing Director Chris Flowers.

He added, "We call upon smallholder farmers to take advantage of the free maturity testing services at Kakuzi before harvesting and packing their fruit for export.”

AFA has reiterated that all avocado export produce will be subject to inspection by AFA-HCD inspectors. Exporters will also be required to apply for inspection at least three days prior to shipment.

In 2023, Kenya's avocado export revenues hit KES19 billion (about US$133 million), marking a 12 percent increase from the previous year. 

Market projections show that this upward trend is expected to continue, with projections indicating that export revenues could reach US$175 million this year, powered by higher production and global demand, particularly in European and Middle Eastern markets.

“Exporters or their agents found transporting avocado without crates or on open pick-up trucks or Probox vehicles, contrary to provisions of the Horticulture Regulations, shall be penalized. All avocado dealers should take full responsibility of production and post-harvest handling processes to guarantee compliance to regulatory and market requirements,” the Director General of AFA-HCD stressed.

AFA-HCD is mandated to develop, regulate and promote horticulture sector regulations to ensure quality and safe produce is marketed locally and internationally. 

This includes ensuring that mature avocado is harvested and exported to sustain and grow Kenya’s international markets and minimize interruption of the crop cycle, occasioned by harvesting immature fruits and reduction of projected volumes in subsequent harvests.