The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Farmers in Githunguri constituency are shifting focus to commercial avocado production in a bid to tap into Kenya’s lucrative export market.
Despite many households already growing avocado trees, most have only been selling the fruit locally for little profit. Area MP Gathoni Wamuchomba recently led a group of young farmers on a study tour to Murang’a County, the country’s top avocado producer, contributing 32% of Kenya’s output.
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“I brought Gen Z farmers here to show them that employment is not just in offices — they can also earn a living from agribusiness,” Wamuchomba said.
The delegation visited the Sh70 million Ng’araria packhouse run by the Murang’a Avocado Farmers Cooperative Union, which aggregates produce from 5,689 members across 16 co-operatives. Murang’a earned Sh4.6 billion from avocado exports last year.
The visit comes ahead of the official launch of the Githunguri Avocado Society, an initiative aimed at uniting farmers for better bargaining power and higher earnings.
“It’s only through collective effort that farmers can secure fair prices. The society will help us grow agribusiness and improve livelihoods,” Wamuchomba noted.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata, whose county produces over 200,000 tonnes annually, said the sector has thrived through structured systems, though challenges such as theft, harvesting immature fruits, and unlicensed traders remain.
He pledged collaboration with the national government to enforce regulations and also promised to facilitate a return visit for Murang’a farmers to learn from Githunguri’s thriving dairy sector.
