A fresh produce company Saipei Foods is looking for farmers across Kenya to supply them with Hass and Fuerte avocado varieties at a time when the demand for the crop is at an all-time high in the international market.

The company buys a package of four kilogram Hass avocado variety at Sh250 to Sh300 while Fuerte variety costs Sh150 to Sh180.

“The minimum amount a farmer can supply us is at least one probox car full of avocados containing at least 5,000 pieces of the fruits,” said Lucy Njeri, the founder of Saipei Foods.

Once the produce is bought it is sorted and graded according to size and variety and the supplier is paid after 12 to 24 hours.

According to the World Fruit Map, avocado trade in the international market has grown at a rate of 12 per cent per annum over the last ten years with the production growing by five per cent hence the deficit.

In Kenya, the major producing areas are Murang’a, Meru, Kiambu, Kisii, Nyeri and the Mt. Kenya region where the crop is grown for the local and export market.

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Hass avocado variety. 

Currently, a 90kg bag of avocados is retailing highest in Malindi at Sh6,000 and lowest in Kisumu at Sh1,400. In Nairobi it retails at Sh2,000, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret all have the same price at Sh1,800.

Hass variety accounts for approximately 80 per cent of all avocados consumed in the world and is liked by consumers due to its nutty flavor and rich butter. The variety is grown in Kenya and South Africa in Africa.

Kenya exports avocados to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and more recently, the Russian Federation besides the European Union.

The UAE tops the list with some 12, 041 tons for the 2017 timeline.

Saudi Arabia is the country’s fourth importer with some 4, 874 tons worth of imports in 2017. The Russian Federation currently holds the 5th position in trade volumes that have culminated at 4,171 tons in 2017.

The second, third, and sixth major export markets for Kenya avocados are all in Europe. The Netherlands leads the pack with 10, 556 tons of the fruit from the 2017 statistics. France is the third biggest importer: its net volume stood at 10, 423 tons in the same year. The United Kingdom and Spain close the top seven with volumes that verged on 2,944 and 1,734 tons respectively in 2017.

Saipei Foods can be reached on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.