The Murang'a County Government has issued an advisory to mango growers following a surplus that has slowed the uptake of fruit by contracted processors across the county.
Governor Irungu Kang'ata said in a public notice that the oversupply is linked to weather patterns over the past year. He explained that heavy rainfall in August 2025, followed by reduced rainfall in October, encouraged widespread flowering and fruit set, resulting in high production volumes.
"While this surge in agricultural productivity is commendable, it has created a temporary imbalance between supply and demand," Kang'ata said, noting that manufacturers are currently unable to absorb all fruit supplied through the Lower Murang'a Mango Cooperative.
According to the governor, some harvested mangoes have not yet been collected by cooperative officials, raising concerns among growers about potential losses. He urged farmers to follow cooperative protocols to manage the flow of fruit to processors.
"Farmers must refrain from harvesting mangoes without explicit authorization from Lower Murang'a Cooperative officials," he said.
Kang'ata also pointed to harvesting practices as a contributing factor. He said that premature harvesting has led to increased rejections by processors. "Manufacturers are rejecting immature mangoes, which directly impacts farmers. Proper timing during harvesting is essential," he stated.
To provide an additional outlet for surplus fruit, the county has partnered with the Food for Education organization to supply mangoes to a primary school meal pilot program operating in Murang'a and neighboring counties.
"To ensure a reliable market, the county has established a second sales window through this partnership, which supports school meal programs in Nairobi, Murang'a, and Kiambu counties," Kang'ata said.
Deliveries have already started at the Food for Education depot in Ruiru. The initiative is intended to reduce post-harvest losses while supplying fruit to institutional buyers. The governor added that, if the second sales channel proves effective, the county will collect harvested mangoes from different production areas to ease pressure on growers.
Kang'ata said the county government remains focused on stabilizing the mango market and limiting losses linked to oversupply. He also noted that county support and subsidy measures introduced over the past two years have coincided with an increase in farmgate prices, with mango prices rising to over Sh23 per kilogram, equivalent to about US$0.18.
The advisory remains in effect while the county and its partners assess market absorption capacity and coordinate harvesting and deliveries through the cooperative system.
Source: Nyanza Daily
