Avocado is a universal fruit that thrives in subtropical climes and the temperate belt of the world. The latitudinal demarcations for the major varieties are between 45 “N and 60” S. This includes most of Pacific America, South-east Asia and continental Africa where Africa avocados find their way to diverse global markets for different purposes.
Africa Avocado Varieties
Africa Avocado Varieties are some of the finest in the world as the continent vaunts some of the finest varieties. Here are the main Africa Avocado Varieties both in Kenya and South Africa.
Hass-a thick variation (Kenya, SA).
Fuerte-a hybrid variety (Kenya).
Nabal, Puebla-both very green variations (Kenya).
The Hass Africa avocado type develops fast, not only in Kenya but in its original home of California. Its fruition period is characterized by huge, succulent produce.
Africa Avocados Are Considered the World’s Finest
Africa avocado exporters ride on the fineness of the African avocado by world standards because it is a combination of local and international varieties. For example, before the Guatemala variations saw the light in South Africa (1904), there were already small-scale native trees that would later bring about a master variety through grafting. Secondly, the tree is ideally a warm-clime flora, and considering most of tropical Africa is sunny, and has dry soils with proper drainage, the fruit comes out in good yield and taste. Thirdly, as the Kenya case illustrates, the mixture of growth highlands of between 150 and 2100 meters, as well as, between sea level and 800 meters altitude, diversifies the quality.
Top 5 Africa Avocado Producing Countries
Here are the 5 leading Africa avocado exporters, in terms of countries:
- South Africa. (No. 4 among current biggest exporters on the globe).
- Kenya.
- Rwanda
- Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Cameroon.
- Africa Avocado Seasons
As with the rest of the globe, avocado seasons fall into the better chunk of the year. Beginning spring (early March) to late autumn (November), the crop espouses extended harvest seasons when we have the highest supply for most Africa avocado exporting companies. In South Africa, the following varieties undergo harvest in the months in brackets:
Fuerte (March to July)
Hass (May to July)
Edranol (May to July)
Rayan( July to August)
Major Markets that Import African Avocados
Kenya and South Africa lead the pack among the African states that barrage the global market with their produce. The single most important market is the European Union of which France is the leading country among those that buy Kenya avocados, South Africa and the rest of the countries. In 2010, Kenya exported 14101 Mega Tons while SA accounted for the second biggest export, after Peru, of 56282 Mega Tons that went to the EU. Europe amounts into the biggest market mainly because it is outside the latitudinal scope of best climes for growing avocado.
State of the World Market for the Avocados from Africa in 2013
Though Mexico and Peru still hold sway with the EU and UK markets, Africa has shown much improvement in 2013 in its hold of the world market. South Africa, for example, saw 19 percent of its avocado fruit go on sale in the United Kingdom in the 2012-13 season while almost the rest, 79 percent, went to the Eurozone. Considering that in production levels the country does not rank beside the leading global producers in Latin America and South East Asia, the fact that it was among the top five exporters in early 2013 reflects the demand for the truly African crop.