Listed agribusiness company Kakuzi has bagged six nominations in the prestigious Avocado Industry Excellence Awards 2022, which is organised by the Avocado Society of Kenya.

Kakuzi has been nominated in the Growers category (Kakuzi Nursery), Large scale exporters category (more than 200 containers), Large scale orchards category (more than 100 acres), and in the Auxiliary Services category featuring the-Kakuzi packhouse.

Kakuzi MD Christopher Flowers has been nominated in the Avocado Person of the Year category and former COO Richard Collins nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Speaking on the nominations, Flowers said the company has upscaled canopy management strategies on its mature avocado crop to mitigate the bearing cycles risk and boost output.

“At Kakuzi, we are humbled for the six nominations in the forthcoming Avocado Industry Excellence Awards 2022, which are a tribute to our continuous efforts to expand the value of avocado growing and sales locally and internationally," said Flowers.

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He added, “We have a thriving new but still immature avocado development area (about 373 hectares), with production expected in the coming seasons. The new Avocado development area established this year covering more than 60 hectares is also thriving very well in an area previously under pineapple production."

Apart from its recent exports to China, Kakuzi is exploring the Malaysian market as part of ongoing trade facilitation efforts by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS).

Malaysia's National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) recently concluded its assessment of pest risk and field at Kakuzi Orchards as part of the bilateral engagements with Kenya.

Kakuzi expects the Malaysian market opportunity to further boost its growing market footprint.

Due to increased sales, chiefly against its strategic Avocado and Macadamia crops and product diversification efforts, Kakuzi reported a 60 per cent rise in its half-year pre-tax profits.

According to data in the Kenya Economic Survey 2021, earnings from export of horticultural produce increased by 3.9 per cent from Sh144.6 billion in 2019 to Sh150.2 billion in 2020.