- Kenya could soon be exporting Avocado to Malaysia as it seeks to finalise import requirements for Avocado to Malaysia.
- Kenya’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Francis Muhoro said he has written to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate.
- The move comes after it began exporting Avocado to China in 2022 cementing its place as the continent’s leading exporter of the fruit and the sixth largest globally.
Kenya is in the final stages of a process that will see the country export avocados to Malaysia.
Speaking during the Kenya – Malaysia Business Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya’s High Commissioner to Malaysia Francis Muhoro said he has written to the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate- KEPHIS, seeking to finalize import requirements for Avocado to Malaysia.
The move comes after it began exporting avocados to China in 2022 cementing its place as the continent’s leading exporter of the fruit and the sixth largest globally.
Data from the Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) at Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority shows that avocado exports rose from 66 million tonnes in 2018 to 86 million tonnes in 2021.
In 2022, Kenya’s avocado export value was estimated at $15.15 billion according to Statista.
The move is aimed to ensure the inflow of affordable products from Malaysia is balanced with the exports to Malaysia to keep a healthy trade balance between the two countries.
Muhoro said Kenya is a key market for Malaysia with significant potential for expansion and immense opportunities in agro-processing value addition, manufacturing, and tourism.
The Business Forum sought to strengthen Kenya-Malaysia bilateral ties especially in the sectors of Agro-processing and manufacturing.
The mission brought together diverse interest in the area of Agriculture – soil enhancement, goat and sheep vaccines; medical equipment and items; energy; construction; education; ICT; general export/import of goods and logistics.
During the forum, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) also signed an MOU with the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KLSICCI).
The MOU seeks to ensure that both Chambers engage through events, investment promotions, B2B marketing, investment promotion missions and sharing of market research, portfolio connections, and technology transfer among others.
The trade mission was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through Kenya High Commission in Malaysia, the Malaysian High Commission in Kenya, The County Government of Bomet, the Kenya Investment Corporation, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KLSICCI) to promote trade between Kenya and Malaysia through business matching with a view to improving trade volume and educational collaboration between the two nations.
The team was hosted in Bomet County by Governor Hillary Barchok and visited among others; Kipsigis Highlands Tea Factory and KTDA Motigo where they experienced actual processing. Further, Bio Angle, a goat and sheep pneumonia vaccine manufacturer and Bio25 which deal with soil enhancement products, showed interest in partnering with the County business Community.
The team has also visited Nakuru County to introduce the Open University learning concept. This was spearheaded by the Open University of Malaysia led by the Vice Chancellor/President who met with the Technical Committee in the County and initiated the process of open distance learning (ODL).
