Kenyan farmers toast growing European demand for avocados

THIKA, Kenya－It may be loved and derided as the go-to millennial brunch, but avocado toast is proving a boon for Kenyan farmers as they cash in on the seemingly ever-growing enthusiasm.

Across Kenya's ocher fields, farmers are switching coffee and tea for avocados in a bid to profit from increasing European demand for that most Instagrammable of dishes.

Among them is Simon Kimani, 73, who tends 2 hectares of avocado trees.

"Recently when the avocado trade started growing up we thought that it is better to plant avocados, that's how I started," he said, pointing to his first trees, planted less than a decade ago.

Avocado toast is becoming a staple of European menus, said Laura Hannoun, a blogger who has listed the top-10 places to order the simple, hip dish which can set one back 14 euros ($16).

"The fair price is between 10 and 11 euros," said the 25-year-old.

In Kenya, smallholder farmers grow avocados and sell them on to exporters. Kimani's buyer is Bernard Kimutai of Fair Trade Company Limited.

Kimutai has seen a sharp increase in exports of the popular Hass avocado in recent years.

"In 2016 we exported 20 tons, in 2017 we did about 40 tons," he said, hoping to double the figure again this year.

Harvesting is a low-tech affair: A broken wooden ladder and an old machete are all it takes for Kimani and his two employees to chop down the hard, green avocados, collected young so they reach Europe ripe.

Demand going high

In this way, Kimani produces around 28,000 avocados per year, and is paid the equivalent of a little more than 10 euro cents each.

In European supermarkets, where they are sold alongside others from Chile, Israel and Mexico, they easily fetch 10 times that amount, if not more.

"Demand is going high, especially in the rich countries where they care more about health, considering that avocados in Kenya are produced organically," Kimani said.

Renowned as a healthy food, full of vitamins, fiber and trace elements, avocado is an increasing staple of European diets.

Hannoun eats avocado at least once a week, usually on toast, maybe with a poached egg or some pomegranate.

"It fulfills my desire for something tasty, while being healthier than pancakes or burgers," she said.

AFP