Avocado farming in Kenya has become a booming agribusiness, thanks to the growing demand
for avocados in local and international markets.
Kenya’s favorable climate, combined with increasing global awareness of the health benefits of
avocados, makes it an ideal location for avocado cultivation.
This comprehensive guide explores the key aspects of avocado farming, from the types of
avocados grown to market opportunities and challenges.
Types of Avocados Grown in Kenya
Kenya is renowned for producing several avocado varieties, with the most common being:
Hass Avocado: Known for its high oil content, creamy texture, and long shelf life, Hass
avocados are primarily grown for export markets. The fruit’s skin turns dark purple when ripe.
Fuerte Avocado: Characterized by its pear shape and smooth, green skin, Fuerte avocados are
mainly consumed locally. They are less oily than Hass but still highly nutritious.
Puebla Avocado: This variety is less common but valued for its unique taste and texture.
Environmental Conditions for Growing Avocados
Soil Requirements
Avocados thrive in well-drained soils such as alluvial, loamy, or sandy soils with a pH range of
5.0 to 7.0. It’s essential to avoid waterlogged soils to prevent root rot.
Climate
Ideal temperatures for avocado growth range between 20°C and 24°C. Avocados require an
annual rainfall of about 1000 mm, well distributed throughout the year.
High winds should be avoided as they can damage the tree’s weak branches.
Planting and Farm Management
Land Preparation
Before planting, the land should be cleared and plowed. Dig planting holes approximately 1
meter wide and 1 meter deep.
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Incorporate organic matter such as compost or manure into the soil to enhance fertility.
Spacing and Planting
Seedlings should be spaced about 5 to 7 meters apart to allow sufficient room for growth and air
circulation. For an acre of land, this spacing accommodates around 100 to 130 trees.
Grafting and Seedling Care
Grafted seedlings are preferred as they bear fruit faster and are more disease-resistant.
Seedlings should be watered regularly, especially during dry spells, and mulched to retain soil
moisture.
Pest and Disease Management
Common pests include aphids, thrips, and mites, which can be controlled using organic
pesticides.
Diseases such as root rot, anthracnose, and scab can be mitigated through proper irrigation
practices, fungicide applications, and selecting disease-resistant varieties.
Harvesting
Avocado trees start bearing fruit 3 to 4 years after planting, with peak production reached after 5
to 7 years. Harvesting is typically done from April to September.
Mature avocados should be handpicked to avoid damage, and it’s essential to handle them
carefully to maintain quality.
Economic Potential and Market Opportunities
Local Markets
In Kenya, avocados are a staple in many households, consumed in salads, smoothies, and other
dishes. Local markets provide a steady demand for both Fuerte and Hass varieties.
Export Markets
Kenya exports a significant portion of its avocado produce to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Countries like the Netherlands, Spain, and China are major importers of Kenyan avocados.
The export market requires adherence to stringent quality standards, including certifications like
GlobalGAP.
Value Addition
Processing avocados into products such as avocado oil, guacamole, and frozen avocado slices
can enhance their value and open up new market opportunities. Value-added products often fetch
higher prices and have a longer shelf life.
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Challenges in Avocado Farming
Despite the lucrative prospects, avocado farmers face several challenges:
Market Fluctuations: Prices can vary significantly depending on supply and demand dynamics.
Pests and Diseases: Effective management is crucial to prevent significant losses.
Initial Investment: The cost of quality seedlings, irrigation systems, and fertilizers can be high.
Post-Harvest Handling: Maintaining the quality of avocados during transportation and storage is
critical to avoid spoilage.
Conclusion
Avocado farming in Kenya presents a promising opportunity for farmers, given the increasing
demand and favorable growing conditions.
By adopting best practices in soil preparation, planting, pest management, and harvesting,
farmers can achieve high yields and profitability.
With support from agricultural extension services and access to export markets, Kenyan avocado
farmers are well-positioned to benefit from this thriving sector.
The current local market prices for a 90-kilogram bag of avocado in selected markets across the
country are as follows: 4,000 shillings in Mombasa, 2,600 shillings in Loitoktok, 2,200 shillings
in Nairobi, 2,100 shillings in Eldoret, 2,000 shillings in Nakuru and 800 shillings in Kitale.
Avocado farming has increasingly been adopted in recent years by Kenyan farmers, especially
smallholder farmers who account to over 70 percent of the total production.
The high uptake of avocado by these farmers has been linked to the huge profitability especially
from the international markets together with the global awareness of its health benefits.
Kenyan farmers are growing more and more Avocadoes to not only meet the local demand but
that of the European market too and as a result, the country is now among the world’s biggest
exporters of avocados and currently the world’s sixth largest exporter of the fruit.
It has been estimated that Kenya produces 115,000 metric tons of avocado annually, three-
quarters of which end up in expanding export markets.
Kenya earned 6.5 billion shillings and 5.2 billion shillings in 2016 and 2015 from avocado
exports respectively, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics.
Although Kenya’s commercial production of avocado began only 40 years ago, avocados are
now estimated to be the fourth most important national fruit crop, behind only to banana, mango
and pineapple.
Moreover, avocados have grown to represent 17 percent of Kenya’s total horticultural exports.
Kenya is the world’s sixth largest exporter of avocados with three percent of the world’s total
and Africa’s second biggest after South Africa.
Early this year, the government banned all avocado exports following a severe shortage of
popular varieties, Fuerte and Hass, which were the off-season.
Farmers and traders were intentionally starving the domestic market in favour of the
international market resulting in the shortage of the ‘new wonder crop’ which saw the price of
the fruit rise to a three-and-a-half-year high with an avocado in Nairobi’s retail markets going
selling for between 50 shillings and 80 shillings up from between 10 shillings and 20 shillings
each during high season.
Apart from high demand, Avocados also takes a shorter time to produce compared to Kenya’s
traditional cash crops such as coffee which further boosts its appeal.
The main varieties grown in Kenya is a local variety, known as “Kienyeji”, Fuerte variety and
Hass variety. The Pinkerton avocado cultivar is also grown in Kenya although in way smaller
quantities.
The main areas where avocados are grown in Kenya are the central highlands of Thika,
Muranga, Nyeri, Embu and Meru areas. Other areas include Eldoret, Kisii, Subukia, Nakuru, and
Naivasha.
avocado (Persea americana) is native to the Americas but grows well in Kenya. It is very
nutritious with a high protein and oil content and is now becoming increasingly important as an
export crop.
The fruit is nearly sodium free, rich in potassium dietary fibre and vitamin B6, C, D and E. It is
eaten as fresh fruit, in salads, soups, ice cream, also used to make avocado oil, perfume and
avocado paste.
The avocado tree may be erect, usually to 9metres tall but sometimes to 18metres or more, with a
trunk 30-60cm in diameter, (greater in very old trees) or it may be short and spreading with
branches beginning close to the ground.
The leaves are alternate, dark-green and glossy on the upper surface, whitish on the underside,
variable in shape (lanceolate, elliptic, oval, ovate or obovate) and 7-40 cm long.
Small, pale-green or yellow-green flowers are borne profusely in racemes near the branch tips.
They lack petals but have 2 whorls of 3 perianth lobes, more or less pubescent, and 9 stamens
with 2 basal orange nectar glands.
The fruit, pear-shaped, often more or less necked, oval, or nearly round, may be 7-20 cm long
and up to about 15cm wide.
The skin may be yellow-green, deep-green or very dark-green, reddish-purple, or so dark a
purple as to appear almost black, and is sometimes speckled with tiny yellow dots, it may be
smooth or pebbled, glossy or dull, thin or leathery and up to 6mm thick, pliable or granular and
brittle.
In some fruits, immediately beneath the skin there is a thin layer of soft, bright-green flesh, but
generally the flesh is entirely pale to rich-yellow, buttery and bland or nutlike in flavor.
The single seed is oblate, round, conical or ovoid, 5-6.5 cm long, hard and heavy, ivory in color
but enclosed in two brown, thin, papery seed coats often adhering to the flesh cavity, while the
seed slips out readily.
Some fruits may be seedless due of lack of pollination or other factors.
In Eastern Kenya, avocadoes do well in Kangundo, Mua Hills, Kathiani (Iveti hills), parts of
Mbooni, all in Machakos County, and the high potential areas of the larger Embu and Meru
counties.
VARIETIES
They include the following;
Fuerte – bears thin skinned green-pebbled fruit of very good flavour. It has many lines with
different shapes. The pear shaped fruit is preferred for export.
Haas- bears medium-sized, rounded, rough-skinned, black fruits.
Nabal – its fruits are green with a good flavour.
Puebla- bears deep purple to maroon round fruits and is normally used as a rootstock.
Others– Reed, Simmonds, Booth 7&8, Pinkerton, Bacon, Lula and Taylor
Fuerte‘ is the main variety grown in Kenya although ‘Haas‘ is developing strongly, especially
among small growers. These two varieties are grown majorly for the export market. Other
varieties like ‘Reed’, ‘Booth 8’, ‘Puebla’, etc. are not exported.
Ecological Requirements
Altitude
Depending on the variety, avocado grows well from 0-2500 m above sea level. Some varieties
like ‘Simmonds’, ‘Booth 7&8’ are suited to lowland areas between 90-800 m asl., ‘Hass’ and
‘Nabal’ are suited to altitudes 800-2100 m asl. ,’Fuerte’ and ‘Puebla’ are suited to altitudes 1500-
2100 m asl.
Soil
Avocado grows successfully on many types of soil provided they are deep, with good water
holding capacity and free draining. Water logged or saline soils are unsuitable because avocado
plants are sensitive to excessive soil moisture and high salinity. The optimum pH is 5.5-6.5.
Temperature
Temperatures between 16-24 degrees centigrade are good for growing avocados and the
maximum temperature for avocado is 33 degrees centigrade. Above this temperature the fruits
and trees can be damaged.
High temperatures and direct sunshine can cause sunburn damage to exposed fruits.
Avocado trees are not tolerant to frost especially those adapted to humid tropics. The sensitivity
of trees to low temperature is influenced by a wide range of factors like the age of the tree, its
vigour, growth stage and its health, among others.
Rainfall & Humidity
Avocados are highly adapted to different rainfall conditions, however, a well distributed annual
rainfall of up to 1600 mm is optimal for good production. Climatic conditions with alternating
dry and rainy seasons are best for avocados.
Irrigation is essential where rainfall is not adequate.
Too much rain during flowering causes flower abortion resulting in significant reduction in
production. Fungal diseases are also problematic in very wet weather.
A short period of dry weather of up to two months usually triggers flowering especially in
tropical climates not subject to marked falls in temperature.
The avocado tree requires high relative humidity at flowering, about 70-80 per cent, then
moderate levels during the fruit swelling stage. Too much humidity encourages the proliferation
of pests and diseases such as scales, scab and anthracnose among others.
FIELD OPERATIONS
Propagation
Propagation is majorly by grafting.
Grafting should be carried out when the seedlings reach pencil thickness. Wedge grafting method
is most successful.
It should be done at the point where rootstock is soft, and the scion should be dormant at the time
of grafting and should match the size of the stock.
The grafting point should be wrapped thoroughly to exclude water from the union and to prevent
it from drying out.
Planting Procedure
Land preparation. This is made easier and effective by use of CLAMPDOWN 480SL 200ml/20l,
a non-selective herbicide which kills all types of weeds.
Prepare planting holes about 60cm x 60 x 60cm. The general spacing for pure stands of
avocadoes is 9m x9m.
Fill the holes with topsoil mixed with manure and DAP. In order to improve on nutrients uptake
by the young plants as well as stimulating growth, it is advisable to incorporate manure and DAP
with HUMIPOWER at the rate of 1ton manure and 50kg fertilizer in 1kg Humipower each.
Water the holes unless the soil is wet enough.
Plant the grafts in the holes, to the same depth as they were in the nursery. The bud union should
be about 300mm above the ground.
Water the seedlings immediately after planting if it is not in the rainy season.
Shade the young plants, and if planted in a windy area, a windbreak is also necessary to protect
the plants from leaning to one side and to help prevent leaf shedding and bruising.
Cultural practices
Spacing
This is determined by the habit of the cultivar and the kind of the soil. In light soil, 25 x 25 ft.
may be sufficient while in deep, rich soil, the tree makes its maximum growth and a spacing of
30-35 ft. may be necessary.
If trees are planted so close that they ultimately touch each other, the branches die back.
Pruning
All suckers and dead branches are removed from main trunk branches.
The canopy is pruned to keep the tree to a height of 5-8 m and for ease of picking.
Pruning should however be minimized because the tree is very susceptible to sunburn.
Weeding
The area around the tree should be kept clean by weeding and removal of all fallen fruits.
Weeds compete for growth factors like nutrients and water and harbour pests and diseases.
CLAMPDOWN 480SL 200ml/20l is a non-selective herbicide which controls all types of weeds
in the garden.
PESTS & DISEASE MANAGEMENT
Pests
Fruit flies
Various species of fruit flies attack avocados. Some lay eggs under the skin of the fruit that is
just beginning to ripen, but others attack young and old fruit. When the fruit reaches about the
size of a golf ball a sting lesion appears as a slight puncture mark surrounded by a white exudate.
As the fruit develops the lesion becomes dry and turns into distinct star-shaped crack on the skin
surface.
Spray PENTAGON 50EC 10ml/20l or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l or PRESENTO 200SP 5g/20l
False coddling moth
After emerging from the egg, the young caterpillar tunnels into the fruit and a discoloration
appears at the point of entrance. While inside they feed on the pulp, causing premature ripening
and fruit drop.
Spray KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or LEGACY 50EC 15ml/20l or SINOPHATE 750SP
20g/20l
Thrips
These are small, slender insects with two pairs of fringed wings which feed by sucking the plant
sap.
They cause damage to the leaves and fruit and the affected parts become whitish or silvery and
are usually covered by dark-coloured droppings.
Attacked fruits develop a leathery brown skin and feeding is most common on young fruits.
Spray ALONZE 50EC 5ml/20l or PROFILE 440EC 30ml/20l or DEFENDER 25EC 40ml/20l
Scales
These are small, stationary brown greenish insects commonly found sucking sap from avocado
leaves.
The soft scales excrete large amounts of honeydew, which lead to the development of sooty mold
on leaves, branches and fruit. The honeydew also attracts ants. Armored scales may encrust
young twigs, leaves and fruit and do not produce honeydew.
Damage can be serious on young tress and small twigs may be killed. Although the presence of
scales on the skin of fruit does not cause internal damage, it may lead to rejection of fruit,
especially if grown for export.
Spray LOYALTY 700WDG 5g/20l or EMERALD 200SL 10ml/20l or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l
Use JAMBO CLEAN 100ml/20l to clean the sooty mold.
Spider mites
Attack by spider mites produces circular necrotic spots covered by dense webbing. As mite
populations increase, feeding causes leaf distortion and eventual drop.
The growth of young trees is seriously affected and yields can be reduced significantly.
Spray ALONZE 50EC 5ml/20l or BAZOOKA 18EC 10ml/20l
Bugs
The adults and nymphs of the coconut bug feed on young and mature avocado fruit. Bug feeding
causes necrotic bruise-like depressions. A hard lump develops, which can be easily removed
when the fruit is peeled.
Helopeltis bugs prefer to feed on young plant tissue piercing the shoots, stems, leaves peduncles,
petioles and fruits. Their feeding causes brown necrotic patches. Attacked leaves present angular
lesion, which often drop out leaving holes as it attacked by biting insects. Feeding on young
shoots causes dieback of the shoots, while on fruits, it causes a dark water-soaked mark around
the feeding puncture, turning into a lesion with a light brown centre and black edge. The fruit
may exude sap that forms a whitish deposit as it dries.
Stink bugs emit a characteristic unpleasant odour when disturbed and they usually feed on the
developing fruit. The feeding punctures cause local necrosis resulting in fruit spotting, and
deformation.
Spray LOYALTY 700WDG 5g/20l or EMERALD 200SL 10ml/20l or LEXUS 247SC 8ml/20l
Swarming leaf beetles
Swarms of this insect can cause severe damage to the new terminal growth. Damaged terminals
have a burnt look and development in young trees can be severely retarded. Occasionally
developing fruits are attacked.
Spray KINGCODE ELITE 50EC 10ml/20l or SINOPHATE 750SP 20g/20l or LEXUS 247SC
8ml/20l
Diseases
Avocado root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi)
This disease can attack trees of any size and age. Leaves of infected trees are small, usually pale
or yellow green, often wilted and fall prematurely giving the tree sparse appearance.
In advanced stages of the disease, branches die-back and fruit remains small and crop yield is
drastically reduced. Feeder roots get blackened, decayed and die. The infected tree dies
prematurely.
Drench soil with GEARLOCK TURBO 250WP 50g/20l or PYRAMID 700WP 100g/20l or
CHANCETYL ELITE 800WDG 100g/20l
Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)
This is a major post-harvest problem when fruit is at maturity stage. Infection takes place when
fruit is still very young and the fungus stays dormant till the fruit ripens. The disease appears as
sunken spots on the fruit and the spots are manifested as a rot, which can penetrate deep into the
flesh. In wet weather, the spots may be covered with mass of slimy, salmon pink fungal spore
mass.
The disease may develop very rapidly in storage if conditions are humid and warm.
Spray RANSOM 600WP 15g/20l or DUCASSE 250EC20ml/20l or EXEMPO CURVE 250SC
15ml/20l
Scab (Sphaceloma perseae)
The fungus readily infects young, succulent tissues of leaves, twigs and fruits.
Lesions appear as small dark spots, slightly raised, oval to elongate. These spots coalesce, giving
a corky appearance to the surface of the fruits, impairing the appearance but not the internal
quality of the fruit.
Fruits are only susceptible when young until about half size development.
Spray DUCASSE 250EC 2oml/20l or RANSOM 600WP 15g/20l or ABSOLUTE 375SC
10ml/20l
Cercospora leaf & fruit spot (Pseudocercospora purpurea)
This disease is primarily a problem to quality of fruits and the severity of infection varies from
season to season and can cause significant losses.
On infection, lesions appear as small light-yellow spots on fruits and leaves, and later become
reddish brown and eventually become hard and crack.
On leaves, the infected tissue becomes thin and brittle, and often drops out, leaving a ragged
hole.
Spray EXEMPO CURVE 250SC 15ml/20l or RANSOM 600WP 5g/20l or DUCASSE 250EC
20ml/20l
Bacterial soft rot (Erwinia carotovora)
Infected fruit has a darkened metallic sheen externally. Internally, the flesh is grey to black and
soft with a putrid smell.
Spray Copper-based fungicides like GREENCOP 500WP 50g/20l or TRINITY GOLD 425WP
50g/20l or COLONIZER 440wp 50g/20l
Stem end rot (Dothiorella dominicana, Phomopsis spp., Botryodiplodia theobromae &
Lasiodiplodia theobromae)
A dark brown to black rot begins at the stem end as a dark brown ring and the rot proceeds
towards the other end. This rot produces dark streaking of the water-conducting tissues, and this
symptom distinguishes stem end rot from anthracnose.
Spray RANSOM 600WP 15g/20l or EXEMPO CURVE 250SC 15ml/20l or ABSOLUTE 375SC
10ml/20l
Nutrition
To obtain good growth and high fruit yields, it is important to supply the plants with necessary
nutrients.
Basal and foliar fertilizers should be applied.
Basal fertilizers are absorbed by the plants through the roots and include DAP, CAN, NPK,
UREA, among others. Farmyard manure could also be added, depending on the organic matter of
the soil.
Foliar fertilizers are absorbed by the plants through the foliage and they supply both macro and
micro nutrient elements. They include OPTIMIZER, DIMIPHITE, ZINC GOLD, LAVENDER,
GOLDCHANCE SERIES, VITABOR GOLD, among others.
Application of these fertilizers prevents nutritional deficiencies.
NOTE
Whenever doing foliar sprays, it is advisable to mix the product (insecticide, fungicide, foliar
fertilizer or herbicide) with INTEGRA 3ml/20l. This is a sticker, spreader, wetter and penetrant,
which improves the efficacy of the respective product.
Alternation of various chemicals (especially fungicides and insecticides) throughout a crop’s
season help in preventing resistance build-up by the pest, which could happen if only a single
chemical was used.
Timely application of products (fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides & herbicides) is very crucial.
All basal fertilizers and manure should be mixed with HUMIPOWER, which adds organic
matter, improves nutrient uptake, stimulates beneficial microbial activities and promotes
electrochemical balance, among other benefits.
Maturity, Harvesting & Postharvest Handling
Avocados are ready for harvesting at 5-10 months after flowering. This depends on the variety
and the ecological conditions of the region.
It may not be easy to tell when the fruits are ready for harvesting unless they are of the varieties
that change colour at maturity. For instance; dark-colored varieties are usually mature when they
start to turn from green to dark color, while green-colored varieties become smoother, may
develop corky spots, and a yellow tint to skin and stem.
Clippers are used for low hanging fruits and for those higher up, a long handled picking pole
with a sharp “V” on the metal rim is used to cut the stem and a strong cloth bag to catch the fruit.
Avocados do not ripen while they are still attached to the tree.
If allowed to remain too long on the tree, the fruits may be blown down by wind and they will be
bruised or broken by the fall.
Immature fruits do not ripen but become rubbery, shriveled and discolored.
If picked when fully grown and firm, avocados ripen in 4-5 weeks at room temperature.
A ripe avocado fruit yields to a light pressure when gently squeezed and can be stored in the
refrigerator for two to three days.
Avocados are easily bruised or scratched and must be handled with care and are packed and
padded in single or double-layer boxes or cartons for shipment.
Avocados ship well and are exported under refrigeration in surface vessels. The fruits are subject
to chilling injury (dark-brown or gray discoloration of the mesocarp) in refrigerated storage and
degree of susceptibility varies with the variety and stage at harvesting and length of time in
storage. Most commercial varieties can be held safely at temperatures between 4-13ºC for at least
two weeks. The best ripening temperature after removal from storage is 15ºC.
Everybody loves avocado, right? I bet you have heard of the golden hass avocado. The hass
avocado is the most popular Kenyan avocado produced mainly for export purposes. It has a good
market in continents such as Europe compared to other types of avocados. This type of avocado
was first grown in Guatemala. Read on to know everything about hass avocado farming and how
to grow it in Kenya. Source: pixabay.com Source: UGC Hass avocado farming is really
profitable to farmers because it has a ready international market for the locals. Hass avocado
exports have actually taken the place of major cash crops such as coffee. The government has
negotiated with firms such as Kakuzi to buy the fruits from farmers, which has helped in
eliminating brokers thus yielding more returns for farmers. Farmers are required to deliver
quality fruit and in return Kakuzi buys them at a very good price. Payment is always done seven
days after delivery. This is guaranteed payment. The most prominent feature is that it turns dark
purple when ripe. Hass avocado offers several benefits which also apply across the family of
avocado. Read more: https://www.tuko.co.ke/292880-how-profitable-hass-avocado-farming-
kenya.html
