Kenya's Ambassador to China Muthoni Gichohi graced the official hand-over ceremony of the first batch of Kenya's fresh avocado export to China which also marks the very first export of such avocados from Africa.The Ambassador applauded the efforts made by the two Governments towards this noble achievement.
"Kenya aims to export over 100,000 tonnes of avocados. The 1.4 billion population in China is a huge market for Kenya not only for avocados but also for other fresh produce such as mangoes and bananas," said Dr. Wilfred Marube, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency. This protocol is geared toward granting market access to thirteen prioritised agricultural products to be fast-tracked for export clearance.
Unfortunately, Kenya was unable to meet the requirements for the export of fresh avocados to China at the time. "Since then, our Government institutions with the Chinese counterparts have held various engagements and sensitization programs or exporters as well as farmers of Kenya's fresh produce in a bid to raise awareness of the need to comply with the China's set requirements for Kenya's fresh produce exports to this market," said Ambassador Muthomi Gichohi.