NAIROBI, Kenya, April 4 – Kenya will leverage local cooperative networks to market the country as a producer and exporter of superfoods such as avocados, macadamia nuts, and blueberries.
Co-operatives and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui said that the initiative aligns with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) with an aim to tap into the lucrative global market for superfoods valued at $171.8 billion in 2023.
Key factors driving the above market growth include increasing consumer demand for nutritious foods, the rise of veganism and vegetarianism, and a growing focus on preventive healthcare.
According to global research firm IMARC Group, the market is expected to reach $262.3 billion by 2032, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 4.6 percent during 2024–2032.
To capitalize on this opportunity, the government plans to collaborate with growers like Kakuzi Plc to provide technical support and training to local farmers through public-private partnerships.
“Kenya is already doing well in producing superfoods such as Avocado, Macadamia, and Blueberries, which are also beginning to feature,” Chelugui said during a fact-finding tour of listed agribusiness and superfoods producer Kakuzi Plc orchards and packhouses in Murang’a County.
“We are number five in avocado exports and can easily get to number one, but only if we maintain global standards relating to crop husbandry, traceability, and sustainability, as every fruit exported carries Kenya’s reputation,” he added.
“Our co-operative societies and other MSME Agri-business players have an opportunity to learn and forge partnerships with large players such as Kakuzi, who are willing to provide capacity building in farmer training, marketing, and extension services to enable us to play in the top league as quality superfoods producers and exporters.”
Kakuzi is the largest producer of avocados and macadamia nuts in Kenya, contributing to approximately 12 percent of the nation’s avocado exports.
It is also into blueberry production.
“We aspire to make Kenya the world’s leading producer of superfoods. At Kakuzi, we have global markets because we maintain the required standards for such market access,” said Kakuzi Managing Director Chris Flowers.
“Our success is primarily built on five key pillars: We export quality products, we export products with impeccable traceability credentials, we grow our products responsibly, we grow our products sustainably, and we lift others as we grow.”
The Muranga-based agro-company also runs an academy that offers extension services to over 3,000 farmers across Kenya as part of their smallholder development initiative.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, in the first three quarters of 2023, the agriculture sector in Kenya experienced strong growth, attributed to improved weather conditions and government subsidies for inputs like fertilizer and seeds.
