Bʏ Mᴀʀʏ Mᴡᴇɴᴅᴇ
Kenya’s horticultural industry continues to be a pillar of the country’s agricultural economy, yet despite years of progress, one stubborn challenge persists: the sector’s inability to consistently meet the volumes demanded by international markets. According to Christine Chesaro, Director at the Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD), production fragmentation and poor crop specialization across counties remain significant hurdles to the country’s export ambitions.
Why Sustainability Now Matters More Than Ever
Speaking during an industry forum, Chesaro emphasized that global markets are raising the bar for sustainability in fresh produce trade. “We have to align ourselves to what the market requires. There are issues of food safety, quality, and, more importantly, sustainability that buyers are now actively looking at,” she noted.
This includes responsible environmental practices, gender equity, proper land use, fair wages, and youth involvement. Export markets, particularly in Europe, increasingly expect produce from countries that can demonstrate sustainable, ethical, and traceable production systems.
“We’re seeing exporters beginning to shift some of their exports from air to sea to cut down on carbon footprint. Companies are getting more sensitive about human rights, involvement of women, and fair labour conditions. The industry is very alive to these requirements,” Chesaro added.
The Production Challenge: Why Markets Demand Consistency
Even as Kenya sharpens its focus on sustainability, Chesaro pointed out that the country’s horticulture sector faces a deeper, long-standing problem: low volumes and inconsistency in supply. While flowers, avocados, mangoes, and pineapples have established some presence in export markets, most other crops struggle to meet international demand.
“We had a farmer’s group come to us with 24 tons of dragon fruit and asked us to find them a market. I asked them , can you do 24 tons next week? Can you supply the same every month? They couldn’t,” she said.
This, Chesaro explained, is why exporters and buyers shy away from such one-off consignments. “The market wants volume and consistency. One buyer alone may demand 30 tons of passion fruit every week. If you can’t supply that consistently, you lose credibility as a supplier.”
Kenya’s Problem of Growing ‘A Little of Everything’
One of the factors fueling this inconsistency is the scattered nature of crop production across Kenya’s counties. Chesaro acknowledged that while many counties have the potential to grow multiple crops, none have specialized enough to produce them at scale for export. “In most counties, you find a little bit of everything, some bananas, a few avocados, a handful of mangoes, but no volume to meet international orders.”
She gave examples: Murang’a leads in avocado production, with Kisii and parts of the North Rift following. Bananas do well in Embu and Kisii, while mangoes are abundant in Mombasa, although most of them are consumed locally. “We export only about five percent of our mango production. The rest is for domestic consumption,” she said.
Chesaro stressed that unless Kenya moves towards crop zoning and specialization, it will continue to miss out on export opportunities. “It’s simple economics. You can’t take one banana to the market and expect it to make a difference. The way we mix crops on our farms is exactly what’s happening at the county level. No planning, no specialization, no volumes.”
What’s the Way Forward?
When asked how Kenya could break this cycle, Chesaro was candid: “If it were up to me, we’d map our counties and assign them crops based on their climatic advantages. Murang’a and parts of Central for avocado, Embu and Kisii for bananas, Taita Taveta for onions, Mombasa for mangoes and then build the production volumes needed to supply those markets consistently.”
However, she acknowledged that such a strategy requires strong buy-in from county governments. “The governors must be on board. They’re the ones with the budgets and authority to mobilize farmers, supply planting materials, and develop infrastructure.”
In addition to county commitment, Chesaro advocated for a clear national horticulture expansion plan. “We need to agree on what we want to produce for the export market, map it out, and put resources behind it. Without a structured plan, we’ll keep losing out.”
The Message to Farmers and Growers
Chesaro urged farmers to focus on building volumes in select crops before seeking export markets. “I told the dragon fruit farmers, you don’t have enough for export yet, but work on recruiting more farmers, increase your production, and in a few years we can have this conversation again,” she said.
She noted that pockets of dragon fruit farming are emerging in Machakos, Meru, Kajiado, and Makueni, but volumes remain far too low for export.
Kenya’s horticulture industry has no shortage of potential, but without coordinated planning, specialization, and investment in production capacity, the country will continue to struggle to supply the high-volume, consistent orders that international markets demand. If Kenya hopes to expand its export portfolio beyond flowers and avocados, growers, county leaders and policymakers must align behind a national strategy that prioritizes both sustainability and scale.