Nairobi — Kenyan avocado farmers may soon enjoy further market diversification opportunities' in Malaysia from 2023 as the country enhances its efforts to secure a broader international market footprint.

The Kenya Plant Health inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has been engaging counterpart agencies in crucial target markets in the Far East as part of ongoing trade facilitation efforts.

Speaking when he confirmed the efforts, KEPHIS Managing Director Prof Theophilus Mutui said an Audit team from Malaysia's National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) concluded pest-risk and field assessments at Kakuzi Plc in Murang'a county last week as part of the bilateral engagements.

"KEPHIS has been working hard to secure export market access for local avocado growers beyond the traditional European markets as part of our statutory mandate," Mutui said.

On his part, Kakuzi PLC Managing Director Chris Flowers welcomed the opportunity which comes just after the firm exported its first avocado consignment to China earlier this month.

The Malaysian market opportunity for Kakuzi is expected to further boost the firm's growing market footprint.

The firm's strategic avocado and macadamia crops and steadily growing revenues from its market and product diversification efforts saw the firm post a 75.3 percent net profit growth in the half year ended June.

National data published in the Kenya Economic Survey 2021 confirm that earnings from exports of horticulture produced increased by 3.9 per cent from Sh144.6 billion in 2019 to Sh150.2 billion in 2020.

With the introduction of new high-potential markets such as China, the value of horticultural exports is expected to grow, occasioning a positive economic ripple effect.