Kenya authorizes maritime exports of avocados (Fuerte and Pinkerton)
Harvesting and shipping by sea will begin on February 14, with strict inspections to ensure the fruit's maturity.
Kenya's Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) announced that the harvesting and maritime export of Fuerte and Pinkerton avocado varieties will be formally permitted starting February 14. However, only packing companies that pass a formal inspection will be authorized to export.
This decision is based on a study conducted by the AFA, which concluded that there are sufficient volumes of both varieties for international trade by sea. The measure partially reverses the suspension imposed in October 2024, when all harvesting and maritime exports were prohibited to prevent the harvesting of unripe avocados, which could have affected future production.
Export of Hass avocados
For the Hass variety, exports will continue exclusively by air, except for large farms—owned or contracted—with sufficient volumes of mature crops. In these cases, maritime exports may be permitted after an inspection at both the packing warehouse and the farm.Furthermore, the AFA warned that any attempt to export Hass avocados by sea under the Fuerte label, in order to evade controls, will result in the suspension of the export license for the 2025 season.
Source: portalfruticola.com
