Murang’a county officials in the avocado sector have called upon the government to come up with a law that will help in eliminating brokers and avocado theft which has become pervasive in the region. Moreover, they want the government to enact better practices, transportation, processing, and marketing of the avocados also known as Green Gold.
The move seeks to protect avocado farmers who have been paralyzed by the theft that is said to have been triggered by unscrupulous dealers. The act has pushed farmers to form vigilante groups to guard their crops, with others employing guards to man their farms on a 24-hour basis, in a bid to tame losses.
Farmers have complained of spending a lot of time planting the fruits just to get nothing during the harvest period. While the government says the theft of avocados is treated like any other crime – farmers are demanding stiffer penalties equivalent to those meted out on those who commit economic crimes.
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“Initially it was not possible to protect a farmer but with this bill, the grower will be safe as the traceability system will track the history of the produce from production to the consumer. Additionally, any person who commits any offense be it stealing avocado fruit from the growers or from the collection centers and selling the produce will be liable to a fine not exceeding 500,000 shillings or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or both,” Murang’a County Assembly Speaker Nduati Kariuki said.
Under the proposed County Avocado Bill 2022, any person who will harvest immature avocadoes will be liable to a fine of 100,000 shillings or six months imprisonment, or both.
The issue of immature avocadoes saw the commodity exports in 2021 decline to USD 133.15 million from USD 133.63 million recorded in a similar period the previous year. Farmers named theft as one of the key drivers to the harvesting of immature fruits.
The government on its part imposed a two- to – three-month close of the season every year to give the fruit enough time to mature.
The bill also requires farmers to register with an approved cooperative for better market accessibility. The Avocado Bill 2022 is expected to be of great impact to the farmers once it is passed into a law
Murang’a leads in the production of avocado with more than 80 percent of the produce destined for the export market. Kenya is currently Africa’s leading exporter of avocados.