AFA warns exporters after fresh violations in closed avocado season

KENYA – Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority has raised alarm after it found exporters and processors breaking rules during the avocado harvesting break.

The authority issued a notice on 20 October that stopped avocado harvesting for sea exports and oil processing. Inspectors have kept watch since then and found several breaches.

AFA Flags Ongoing Breaches

AFA says some dealers keep sourcing fruits inside the country and exporting them without following the set procedure.

Inspectors say this trend pushes farmers to pick immature fruits and has also triggered theft. AFA stresses that this goes against para 18 (1) of the Crops Regulations. The authority says it will not allow actions that hurt growers and Kenya’s avocado market.

Inspectors also found dealers receiving produce in sacks carried on pick-ups, open trucks and probox vehicles. The rules guide dealers to use crates as set out in para 20(6). AFA says the use of sacks hurts fruit quality and increases damage during transport.

The regulator says other dealers now buy fruits from suppliers who do not appear in its register. It also found cases where exporters failed to show contract agreements for fruits sourced inside the country or from other EAC states. The rules require dealers to keep all supplier contracts as stated in para 22 (3).

AFA also found exporters mixing mango shipments with avocado. This breaks Section 20(5) of the rules and raises questions about food safety and traceability.

Processors also failed to notify AFA when they received avocado shipments from EAC countries. The rules require processors to submit this notice before the fruits reach border points. Inspectors say some dealers even used third parties to bring in fruits without proper traceability papers, which breaks para 22 (1) and (2).

AFA adds that some exporters and processors blocked inspectors from entering their facilities. The Crops Act of 2013, under sections 28, 30 and 36, gives inspectors the right to access any site during checks. AFA says it will not tolerate obstruction.

AFA says processors or their agents who want to import avocado from EAC states must hold a valid import license. They must also ask AFA for an import permit that states the fruit source, volume, entry date and destination. The permit costs nothing and must be ready before the fruits reach the border. Other agencies also require their own paperwork.

AFA warns that more violations will lead to full suspension of export or import licenses for the rest of the closed season. “Any further violation to any of the stated regulations and guidelines above will lead to suspension of export or import license for the rest of the avocado harvesting closure season,” said Dr Bruno Linyiru, OGW, the Director General.

Wider developments in the sector

Recent updates show stronger checks at border points, with customs teams carrying out more joint inspections. AFA says these checks help stop illegal avocado movements and protect fruit quality.

Traders also raised concern about higher transport costs, with some saying the fees rose to 15000 Kenyan shillings (approx US$117) per truck on some routes. AFA says it will keep working with county officers to address these issues while keeping order in the sector.

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