The World of Avocados

If a contest was held for fruits that could strike a pose and do so well, the avocado would win resoundingly! The interior green glory of avocados just makes them so photogenic.

Avocado trees have flowers that are both male and female. They first open as female for 3 hours during which they receive pollen then close for the remainder of the day. The following day the flower opens for the same period but to shed pollen because it is in its male form. Once the second day is through, the flower closes for good. If successful pollination has taken place, avocado fruits are produced. The kind that, once mature, we say “went to academies” and proudly photograph to send into cyberspace.

In the eastern coast of Africa, Kenya is blooming with avocados and her people are enjoying every minute of their uncommon fruitiness. In 2004, we were ranked the sixth-highest exporter globally. Soils in Meru, Murang’a, Kisii and Embu counties are presently producing the best avocados sold for export.

Running an avocado farm or avocado academy is tough but not impossible. It requires patience and careful consideration to ensure you get the right investment, people and partnerships. Your farm workforce should be well-informed and equipped to plant, irrigate and harvest at the right time. Avocados should not be harvested before they mature. Maturation happens while they are still on their mother tree but ripening only happens once they are plucked.

To ensure your harvest does not go to waste, it is critical that you identify your target market and establish partnerships with buyers in advance. This allows you to set achievable goals, plan logistics and maintain a great business relationship with the market. To guarantee the quality of your avocados, implement farming methods for growing fruits that are uniform in size and shape with minimal chemical residue in them. Getting your avocado seedlings certified by Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) is an effective way of guaranteeing your produce is legitimate and meets the requirements for export.

Not so hard right? Still, patience is key.

In today’s market, Kenya produces 200 million avocados annually with 16 million of these for export. Our primary destinations are European Union countries like France, Germany and the Netherlands and Middle Eastern states such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

In Brazil, avocado is apparently used as an ice cream topping. With that in mind, what is your favorite avocado combo?