@Alicewangechi
Avocado farmers from Murang’a are reeling in losses as thieves continue to raid their farms.
The farmers have said the theft leads to wastage as thieves who steal mostly at night or in a hurry end up harvesting immature fruits.
Led by Murang’a Avocado Farmers Co-operative Union chairperson John Mwaniki, the farmers said the theft may end up hampering the sector with a huge potential of boosting the economy and empowering farmers.
Murang’a is the largest producer of avocados in the country, with Kenya being the sixth largest producer in the African continent.
Mwaniki said from June last year to July this year, the union managed to export 258 tonnes of avocados, raking in Sh22 million.
But the union, he said, had hoped to produce about 400 tonnes in the same period but fell short largely due to farm-gate theft.
He said the union that has 3,126 members who conduct joint marketing of their fruits, has been undertaking trainings to ensure members engage in proper crop husbandry.
Through the union, farmers have been provided with subsidised organic manure and organic pest that ensure members produce organic fruits.
“The pest traps were provided by the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project at a cost of Sh3.9 million but all these efforts are going to waste because our fruits are being stolen,” he said.
He said Murang’a makes an average of Sh4 billion from avocados annually and that the revenue can grow to up to Sh6 billion if such challenges are resolved.
He said some of the thieves are so bold and enter farms during day-light, and even force farmers to help them harvest and transport the fruits to their waiting vehicles.
“We have four such cases especially from Kandara. Farmers are sometimes forced to watch as their fruits are stolen and compelled to carry the sack-loads of avocados to waiting pick-ups,” he said.
In some instances, the thieves approach farmers to sell the fruits at throw away prices and when farmers refuse, they harvest them anyway.
The union, he said, has been benefiting farmers as they are able to engage in contract farming with about six exporters.
“We started with Sh70 per kilogram three years ago. Now, we are selling our fruits at Sh100 per kilogram,” he said, noting that this has encouraged more farmers to sell their fruits to exporters, sidelining brokers.
He also noted that the availability of small markets for the fruits has served to fuel theft as thieves are assured of getting some money once they lay their hands on them.
The union has met the county security officers over the matter and several people have been arrested but that has not deterred others.
In June this year, the county assembly amended Murang’a County Avocado Bill 2019 to regulate the sector against theft and export of sub-standard and unripe avocado fruits.
The new bill now requires farmers to issue authentic receipts to buyers at the point of sale to allow for traceability of fruit any person or vehicle found transporting avocado fruits without a receipt arrested.
Michael Kariuki, a farmer, said he started harvesting his avocado fruits this year and has suffered losses amounting to about Sh5 million.
Kariuki said the losses deter investors who could provide jobs to local youths and called for a decisive action from the government to stem thefts.
If not addressed, the farmer said the trend will occasion huge losses in revenue for the government and devastate the economy, noting that big orchards such as Kakuzi and Delmonte are also facing immense thefts.
“They are now moving from stealing fruits to vandalise our irrigation equipment. I plan to expand my farm and when I do, I may end up incurring heavier losses.”
Edwin Munene who represented Olivado, an avocado processing company based in Murang’a, said the company has lost about 60 per cent of its raw materials sourced from local farms.
“The law requires that avocados should only be harvested once they achieve 24 per cent dry matter but many are harvesting before. This is in turn devastating our reputation internationally with buyers turning to other countries,” he said.
Former speaker Nduati Kariuki attributed the thefts to drugs abuse that he said has rendered many local youths unproductive.
The youths, he said, do not steal out of joblessness as some local farmers have to import labour from other counties.
“They refuse to work and prefer to steal because it is easier. Drugs give them confidence to steal even during daytime and this is affecting the economy negatively.”
-Edited by SKanyara