Avocado farmers in Gatundu North unite to curb middlemen exploitation Avocado farmers in Gatundu North, Kiambu County, are taking decisive steps to reclaim control of their produce and earnings following years of losses caused by an entrenched network of middlemen in the avocado value chain.
For decades, farmers across the country have struggled with a system that leaves them with minimal profit while brokers and exporters reap the bulk of the revenue.
Currently, most Kenyan farmers sell a single avocado fruit for between Ksh5 and Ksh10 at the farm gate.
However, once the same fruit reaches international markets, it fetches between Ksh300 and Ksh500 depending on the country, highlighting the vast disparities created by intermediaries and the lack of direct access to global consumers.
While farmers invest heavily in planting, nurturing, and harvesting the fruit, they remain at the bottom of the value chain, with middlemen benefiting most from the lucrative export market.
In a bid to change this reality, farmers in Gatundu North have begun mobilising under the Ashindi Kiambu Community Association (AKCO), a community-driven initiative aimed at empowering local growers through collective action.
The group plans to establish a corporate society that will equip farmers with greater bargaining power, enabling them to negotiate better prices and reduce dependency on brokers.
The association has already embarked on a mass seedling-planting campaign as part of a long-term strategy to boost production and prepare the ground for agro-processing facilities within the region.
Their vision includes setting up plants capable of processing avocados into a range of value-added products including oil, cosmetics, and food items that command higher prices both locally and internationally.
Farmers led by David Ngugi who begun the initiative argue that the only sustainable solution to persistent exploitation lies in unity and strengthening their position in the market.
By organizing under a cooperative structure, they hope to streamline sales, reduce losses, and stabilize incomes.
Residents also urged the government to support their efforts by establishing processing plants in Gatundu North.
Such investment, they say, would not only cushion farmers from market distortions but also stimulate local employment and enhance Kenya’s competitiveness in the global avocado sector.
