Murang’a County Commissioner Patrick Mukuria has ordered local chiefs to crack down on unlicensed avocado purchasing centers. Mukuria stated that the centers seem to encourage avocado thefts, which leads to huge losses for the local growers. He noted that there is increased theft of avocados from farms in Kandara and Gatanga sub-counties. As farmers are harvesting their avocados right now, thieves are invading farms at night to steal the fruits.
“Chiefs are aware of brokers who are not licensed and are thriving through buying stolen avocados. Those buying centres have to be closed immediately, and the owners face the law. There are procedures for buying and selling avocados set by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA),” said Mukuria.
Source: kenyanews.go.ke