Recently, the Kenyan agricultural company Kakuzi stated that in order to ensure the quality of the fruit, it will start harvesting Hass avocados from the middle of next month and export them to China and Europe.

Kenya's Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), through its Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), announced that the 2023 avocado harvest officially began on March 24, while warning growers not to harvest the unripe fruit.

Kakuzi is one of the largest agricultural enterprises in Kenya, engaged in the cultivation and export of avocados, macadamia nuts and blueberries. At the same time, Kakuzi is also one of the agricultural companies approved to export avocados to China. It shipped the first batch of avocados to China in August 2022. Company principal Chris Flowers said recent maturity tests showed that the crops the company was aiming to grow at its Makuyu orchard in Murang'a district had not reached the maturity and quality standards required for international export. The company provides free maturity testing services to small farmers to ensure that the harvested avocados have a minimum dry matter standard of 24% and a maximum maturity of 35%.

Kenya plans to supply a total of about 20,000 tons of avocados to the Chinese market in 2023. At present, China's annual avocado import volume is about 40,000 tons, and will gradually increase in the next few years. If the plan is successfully implemented, Kenya will occupy a considerable market share in the Chinese avocado market.