Avocado is the new green gold in Kennya. It is emerging as a key export crop and large contributor to the economic growth of the country. Farmers and investors are rushing to cultivate large tracts of land under Avocado, raising the prospect of Avocadization of the farming systems.

This risk is akin to the maize story, where the crop is cultivated in every county including in agroecological zones not suitable for its growth. The current benefit of growing the share of Avocado in the national GDP, given the rising global demand and its ability to improve farmer livelihoods and income cannot be gainsaid. However, it is unclear where the country stands to benefit more from exporting the raw fruit or processing Avocado for avocado oil to reduce the edible oil import bill. Finding the right balance between export and local processing is critical to the sustainable growth and longterm success fo the industry. The Avocado boom is fraught with many challenges including export of immature fruit, high post-harvest losses and perceived low pricing that is not remunerative for farmers.

When it comes to Avocados’, which way Kenya?

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