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Kenyan farmers will now export hass avocados to China following a trade deal signed when President Uhuru Kenyatta met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.
It is estimated that when the agreement is fully implemented, the Chinese market will take in more than 40 percent of Kenya’s avocado produce, making it one of the largest importers of the fruit. Other famous destinations of Kenyan avocado include Europe and the US.
The signing of the protocol on sanitary requirements for the export of frozen avocado was the last major hurdle for the Kenyan crop to be accepted.
Kenya already exports stevia to China and avocado becomes the second farm produce. The country wants to also export 13 other priority farm produce to China in future, including flowers, mangoes, French beans, peanut, vegetables, meat, herbs, bixa and macadamia.
The meeting between Presidents Kenyatta and Xi Jinping and their delegations focused on promoting economic and trade exchange in 8 key initiatives identified during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting held in Beijing last year. These initiatives include industrial promotion, trade facilitation, infrastructure connectivity, green development and people-to-people exchange. Others are capacity building, healthcare, and peace and security.
In addition to the avocado deal, President Kenyatta witnessed the signing of an agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation covering all sectors of mutual interest and an MOU on joint promotion of the implementation of the 8 priority areas.
President Kenyatta is in Beijing for a three-day working tour where he will also attend the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation that will be officially opened by President Xi Jinping on Friday.
The BRF conference at the China National Convention Centre (CNCC) is being attended by world leaders from 37 countries, 5,000 delegates drawn from 150 nations, and representatives of 90 international organisations.
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