The Agriculture and Food Authority has announced the deregistration of the Avocado Society of Kenya for violating undisclosed industry regulations.
Confirming the ban to Kenyans.co.ke an official from the society stated they had received the letter revoking the society's license on January 16, 2024.
The official noted, “Yes we have been banned, and I have the letter of revocation of the license."
She, however, did not disclose the reason that led to the ban.
In a preceding event, three days ago, on January 13, the Agriculture and Food Authority confiscated four lorries carrying 32 tonnes of immature avocados to Tanzania.
“We managed to seize the vehicles full of immature avocados destined for our neighbouring country. The fruits are packaged in gunny and polythene bags, which is contrary to regulations," Collins Otieno, Horticultural Crop Development (HCD) acting deputy director revealed.
According to Otieno, the consignment was being moved via road from Kenya to Tanzania to facilitate its export to other destinations.
He elaborated that the smugglers aimed to get the goods to a least developed country, in which export duty is not likely to be charged.
The seizure and arrests by HCD follow an earlier notice by the Agriculture and Food Authority's (AFA) suspending the harvest of avocados to allow for maturity.
On November 3, 2023, AFA suspended avocado exports for the 2023-24 fiscal year from Kenya to other export destinations.
It gave a two-month window, in which any Kenyan exporter was not authorized to sell the fruit in any foreign country.
The Authority has maintained that the suspension is a move to allow the maturity and attainment of premium standards of the product before exportation.
