Trade advisory manager Charles Tumbo engages with fruit farmers in Garissa County.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency is undertaking an outreach programme in Garissa County. The team visited farms which produce mangoes, lemons, bananas, guavas and pawpaws.

Horticultural produce from the County is consumed locally and farmers are ready to work with exporters to supply their produce as out growers. The demand for mangoes has increased in the European Union countries such as the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany and France.

The main varieties of mango grown in Kenya are the low fibre Apple and the high fibre Ngowe which account for 39% and 17% respectively. The Apple mango variety is ideal for export and the fresh fruit domestic consumption because of its colour and aroma while Ngowe is ideal for processing due to its large size and high brix content resulting in high quality pulp.

The outreach will provide the Agency with information to update County profiles on exportable products to enable market linkages activities.