Endeared Kenyan journalist Larry Madowo relocated to the United States, pitching camp at the Columbia University in New York in July 2019 as a full-time student.
Accustomed to high-end cultures which encompass travelling around the world, Madowo has covered various stories and has witnessed different types of lifestyles.
However, for him, buying a tiny avocado, at $1.69 (approximately Ksh 171) was a shocker. On Monday, January 20, the BBC Africa editor vividly expressed his disappointment at the purchase on Twitter, igniting debate among Kenyans who dubbed it a money minting sector.
"This tiny avocado cost me $1.69. Isn’t this daylight robbery?" Madowo wondered.
"Brother, That avocado seems to be the one that has zero calories, zero fats, 2 per cent less cholesterol, zero cavities, zero calamities and zero everything. It has to be expensive," one Odi wa Kajiado satirically commented.
"Which country are you in we do business? I can send to you unapeleka kwa soko then unanitumia cash (I can export my avocados to you, and after you sell them, you wire the money back to me) Marcos asked.
In April 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta signed a lucrative trade deal with China that saw Kenyan farmers given the opportunity to export Hass Avocado to the Asian country.
As per that time, projections indicated that when that deal would be fully operationalised, the 1.4 billion-rich market would import 40 per cent of Kenya's total avocado produce.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Nicholas Gachara, a financial consultant, stated that Kenya should also seek to explore other markets such as the US and Germany, but should be warry of middlemen whose participation in trade hikes prices.
"In Germany, an avocado costs approximately 5 euros (Ksh 500), that's an unripe avocado. Ksh 171 in the US is cheaper than the cost of the same fruit sold in Europe. If the farmers can manage to sell directly to the other countries supermarkets without middlemen, then they would benefit.
"For example, paying transportation costs through freight companies is too much for a small farmer. Farmers can come together as a consolidation farm and export directly without using middlemen," Gachara advised.
