According to Mugeni, she and her colleagues noticed recurrent bumper harvests of avocados in her neighbourhood and the district in general. “We were puzzled by the high yields of avocados in our neighbourhood. Then we thought of how we could add value to these fruits and probably make products with a longer shelf life.”
The oil Mugeni has squeezed from the avocados, is used in processing other products including soap she claims has great medicinal value, allegedly acting against acne, ringworms and skin irritation.The avocado oil is rich in potassium and contains no cholesterol, unlike other oils in the market.
Most avocados in Nyanza district have been fed to livestock but Mugeni says their processing plant will offer new market to farmers. According to taarifa.rw, she is now planning to expand her scope and to start producing wine and juice from avocados.
