There will be higher volumes for Kenyan avocados this season, says Praveen Kumar, CEO of Kenyan avocado exporter Fruiu Limited: "When it comes to our avocado production this season, volumes will be slightly higher compared to the previous year. The weather has not been a negative influence; the net impact has been positive, contributing to the higher production in Kenya."
© Fruiu Limited
Despite the higher production, there is currently somewhat of a shortage of avocados when looking at the demand. Kumar expects this situation to improve within a couple of weeks: "Demand this year has outstripped the available supply, which has resulted in a scarcity of fruits. This can be partly attributed to the high demand from avocado oil companies, as well as a rebound in EU shipments by the bigger companies, compared to last year. The new crop dry matter is improving, and we hope that in a matter of a few weeks, the supply for the avocados will also improve."
Kumar hopes to enter new markets this season, mostly in Europe. India could be interesting, but it has unique challenges right now. "At the moment, we export our avocados to the Middle East, but we are looking for reputable importers in Europe as well. India is a fast-growing market, as volumes grew by 2.5x year on year in 2025, but the 33% duty makes Kenyan avocados uncompetitive compared to Tanzanian avocados, which are duty-free in India. Any reduction in duty could be a game-changer and level the playing field for the Kenyan avocados."
© Fruiu Limited
"The cost of export-grade packaging products in Kenya is higher than in other countries, and we are looking for cost-effective, sustainable packaging solutions to help improve the situation in our favor. All in all, it's a challenging time in the season, but the new crop coming in shortly will improve the supply side situation for all exporters," Kumar concludes.
For more information:
Praveen Kumar
Fruiu Limited
Tel: +254 71 22 48 05 8
[email protected]
https://www.fruiu.com/
