Kenya: avocado tour organised by the Avocado Association Uganda (AAU) and the Fit for Market SPS programme

Twelve members of the Avocado Association of Uganda (AAU), with support from the Fit For Market SPS programme, travelled to Kenya for their avocado tour at end of June. This tour consisted of field visits, as well as attending the second International Africa Avocado Congress organised by the Avocado Society of Kenya, this year themed “Avocado Africa: A convergence of technology and business for increased competitiveness and trade” from 27–30 June in Nairobi.

The participants consisted of small- and large-scale farmers, farm managers, aspiring farmers and consultants. The objectives of the avocado tour were to give AAU members hands-on experience of the whole avocado value chain, to benchmark farm practices especially set up for smallholder programmes, and to study and appreciate the added value products from avocado.

The tour was a positive experience for the AAU members. They were able to network, which in some cases led to the recruitment of managers to manage farms. The field visit was an opportunity to benchmark the business model of Kakuzi Plc, a Kenyan agricultural company, for its smallholder programme. Two AAU directors met with Kakuzi Plc management to benchmark the workings of the outgrower programme. They also visited the nursery and observed nursery management operations as well as new technologies for orchard practices.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market SPS programme, implemented by COLEACP within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union.