Murang'a: A delegation of avocado farmers from Githunguri Constituency yesterday toured Murang'a County to benchmark on avocado processing and farmer aggregation. Speaking at the Murang'a County Headquarters, Githunguri Member of Parliament Gathoni wa Muchomba said the visit was inspired by Murang'a's success in avocado production and export.
According to Kenya News Agency, Murang'a is leading among the 11 counties that make up the Central Region Economic Block (CEREB) in avocado exports, generating about Sh5.6 billion per year. Wa Muchomba noted that the delegation, which included both elderly and young farmers, was keen on learning how to form avocado farmers' societies and adopt best practices in avocado farming. 'When we are done with the theory, we will visit the pack house to learn practically as well,' she stated.
Wa Muchomba revealed that she hopes to officially launch the first avocado farmers' society in Githunguri later this month. 'We are looking at aggregating over 10,000 farmers so that we can establish a common pack house, grading system, and in turn raise our bargaining power,' she said.
Murang'a Governor Irungu Kang'ata welcomed the delegation, noting that Murang'a is the country's largest avocado producer, commanding about 40 percent of the national market and hosting nearly 80 percent of avocado processing companies. He said one of the county's interventions in the avocado value chain is a pack house at Ng'araria in Kandara, which is owned and managed by farmers.
The governor cited challenges facing the sector, including theft of avocados, premature harvesting, and the presence of unregulated and unlicensed avocado dealers. He expressed hope that collaboration with the national government would help strengthen policies and enforce quality standards.
Kang'ata lauded Wa Muchomba's initiative, saying interventions in agricultural sectors such as avocado, coffee, and dairy ensure farmers benefit more from their labour. He added that Murang'a was also keen to learn from Githunguri, which is the largest producer of milk in the region. 'We shall visit Githunguri to learn a thing or two from the largest producers of milk,' he said, adding that Murang'a values knowledge-sharing not only from other counties but also from constituencies.