This archive report was first published on 25 September 2019.
On September 25, 2019, a group of traders, farmers, and stakeholders from 14 counties came together to form the Association of Kenya Mango Traders (AKMT) with the goal of promoting commercial farming of mangoes and securing better prices for their members.
According to AKMT's founding CEO, Linah Mukami, the association aims to strengthen the value chain of mangoes by establishing a unified marketing platform. This will enable farmers to engage with national and county governments to support seedling production of popular mango varieties such as Kent, Ngowe, and Apple.
AKMT is working with county governments to address key issues affecting mango farmers, including high tax points, fruit flies, and mango weevils. The association is also promoting the consumption of mangoes across Kenya and improving feeder roads to facilitate the transportation of mangoes to markets.
As of now, 50 self-help groups have been enrolled in the association, with the goal of bringing farmers together to demand better prices for their produce. AKMT chairman Julius Njuki emphasized the importance of training farmers on farm husbandry and post-harvest loss management to boost production of clean and high-quality mangoes that meet international market requirements.
Kenya produces approximately 450,000 metric tonnes of mangoes annually, with most being consumed locally. However, several counties are promoting value addition, which now absorbs 20 percent of the fruits produced. Recent developments in the mango industry include the establishment of a Sh60 million factory in Tot township and a pact between Thika-based fruit marketing firm, Kenya Fruits Solution, and local farmers for the purchase of 10,000 metric tonnes of dried apple mangoes every harvesting season.
