Mango exporters risk losing licenses for sneaking avocados into shipments during ban

“The closing of Hass, Fuerte, Pinkerton and Jumbo harvesting season for sea shipment will come to effect on October 30, 2026 with air shipments continuing after export clearance being granted upon inspection by the directorate (Horticultural Crop Directorate (HCD)),” Calistus said.

Earlier this year, Kenya’s Horticultural Crop Directorate issued over Sh5bn-worth of export certificates for sea consignments during its own avocado export ban, moving into heavy non-compliance and triggering a nationwide avocado shortage following under-ripe exports that caused reputation damage for Kenya globally.

The HCD has never revealed how these illegal exports were approved, or announced any record of the breaching exporters or of any punitive or remedial actions.

But during just 12 weeks of the closed season, the HCD approved Sh5.832bn of avocado exports weighing 33,205 tonnes, according to figures released by KenTrade. This volume is equivalent to as much as a third of Kenya’s normal annual avocado production across all regions and both flushes.

On 31st March, HCD Director Christine Chesaro stated at a stakeholders meeting to address the breaches that a list of exporters who had been issued export certificates in breach of the ban had been compiled, and action might be taken, but the new closure comes with the list never having been made public and the director declined to confirm any action had been taken on the law breaking exporters speaking directly to FarmBizAfrica on 6th April.

She said the HCD needed to ask the exporters who had breached to see if they would give permission to have their names released.

Despite the huge scale of the in-ban export license issuing, the HCD claimed to stakeholders it had further extended the ban earlier this year because the crop was late and limited due to late rains.

In its newest ban, the AFA has also banned the import of avocados by oil processors, effective yesterday (November 2, 2026).

“Importation of avocado fruit for oil processing is also closed to prevent harvesting of local immature avocado under the pretext of importation,” said Calistus.

Calistus said while the avocado sea shipment is closed, some exporters mix mangoes with avocado contrary to section 20(5) 0f the Horticultural Crops regulations of 2020, which he said will lead to the export license being revoked and permits not being issued to any exporter contravening the law.

“The authority hereby informs all mango exporters that all produce for export undergoes inspection before an export certificate is issued and ensure that the quantity of mangoes being exported is as per the permit being sought and should only constitute mango fruits,” he said.

According to the director, the request for inspection should be made through their official email (directorhcd@afa.go.ke) with the location of the pack house being clearly indicated in the application, with non-compliance of the guidelines leading to non-issuance of export permit.

Until recently, Kenya was a world player in avocados, accounting for around 6 per cent of global production, but the mismanagement of export bans by the HCD is widely acknowledged to have damaged the country’s position globally.

Industry-wide sources claim the industry changed in 2024 following the introduction of a closed season to prevent the exporting of unripe fruits, which coincided with the non-complaint authorisation of heavy exporting by a handful of leading companies during the bans.

The illegal sourcing which happened country-wide during the last two bans quickly delivered a reputation for Kenyan avocados in world markets as unripe, rubbery, bitter, and pest-ridden.

FarmBizAfrica found more than seven sites where avocados were sourced and exported during the ban without farm inspections.