The Kenyan export industry is now in a transitional phase. "We expect our first shipments of fresh garlic to arrive by air freight at the end of June. We offered this product a few years ago, but due to fierce competition, particularly from Egypt, we decided to discontinue it. However, it is an interesting product with high marketing potential, so we will be offering it again this year," says Stella Rasmussen from the company of the same name based in Meerbusch, Germany.
View of the plantations on the Tanzanian border. In the background: Mount Kilimanjaro
Garlic season in the starting blocks
The young company has its own cultivation capacities in Kenya, including near Mount Kilimanjaro. The region in the south of the country, on the border with Tanzania, is considered the main growing area for garlic. Based on initial experience, the garlic cultivation and marketing strategy has been modified in several areas. Rasmussen: "We initially postponed the export window to the summer so that we can now offer garlic from the end of June to the end of August/beginning of September. We have also found that the larger sizes are particularly popular on the European market. We now mainly offer large-sized produce."
The main products grown in Kenya include snap peas, beans, sugar snap peas, baby corn, and fresh herbs. The fall season for legumes is expected to run from September to December. In addition, Stella Rasmussen GmbH is dedicated to the production and marketing of several year-round products, including chili peppers and baby corn: "Our chili peppers have become very well established, especially in Germany, while baby corn is particularly popular in the Netherlands. The latter product has also proven to be a particularly stable and consistent market segment."
Kenyan garlic
Sea freight situation remains difficult
Parallel to rising global consumption, East African avocado cultivation has also gained significantly in importance in recent years, Rasmussen continues. "We wanted to start shipping again last year, but the problems in the Red Sea threw a spanner in the works."
In general, the Kenyan export industry looks back on an extremely difficult year 2024. "Due to flooding and a difficult market situation, 2024 was a disastrous year for us. Overall, Kenyan bean and sugar pea exports only reached 50 percent of a normal year, which was, of course, a major setback for all market participants. Our top priority was therefore to serve our regular customers accordingly, so that acquiring new customers took a back seat. Even though exports have returned to some degree of normality this year, we are not yet back to previous levels."
For more information:
Stella Rasmussen
Stella Rasmussen GmbH
D-40670 Meerbusch
Tel: +49 (0) 1746 342 466
& +25 4 708 411 272
[email protected]
www.stellarasmussen.com