Kakuzi to Provide Free Maturity Testing for Smallholder Avocado Farmers

The agricultural firm Kakuzi has promised to provide free avocado maturity testing services to smallholder farmers as the harvesting season fast approaches.

Kakuzi has an Avocado Processing and Packhouse facility in Makuyu Town, Muranga County, where the pre-harvest maturity testing services will be done.

The company’s managing director, Christopher Flowers in efforts to boost both local production and global exports of high-quality fruits the laboratory-based testing services will be provided to smallholder farmers as part of a national quality assurance commitment.

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 “Kakuzi is pleased that the regulator has provided directions for strict adherence to maturity parameters. We are at hand to provide free maturity testing services for smallholder farmers at our GlobalGAP-certified Makuyu Packhouse laboratories,” he said.

“As avocado farmers, big or small, we must appreciate that every fruit we deliver to the local or export market carries the Kenya quality reputation, and that’s got to be our enduring objective; giving our customers a fruit they want more of while sustaining the Kenyan market and brand positioning.”

According to an announcement made by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), through its Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD), avocado harvesting season will officially begin on March 24th, 2023.

The Authority (HCD) has engaged avocado exporters and Horticultural Produce Marketing Agents (HPMAS) to boost compliance with maturity requirements.