KENYA – Kakuzi, a listed superfood producer, has won five awards from all their five nominated categories at the Kenya Industry Excellence Awards 2023.
The awards included Avocado Person of the Year 2023, Large Scale Orchards, Large Scale Exporter, Growers Nursery-Seedlings, and Auxiliary Services Categories.
Kakuzi became first in the large-scale orchards for over 200 acres and first in the other categories.
“We are honored and excited by the nominations alongside our industry peers. We continue to encourage and participate in such industry initiatives as part of our corporate commitment to grow the local avocado production and export opportunity,” the company’s managing director, Chris Flowers, said.
Kakuzi’s avocado sales have recently accelerated, with exports to Europe and China peaking.
This year, Flowers disclosed that Kakuzi had planted 13,542 seedlings during the current short rain season as part of its avocado orchard expansion strategy.
Organized by the Avocado Society of Kenya, the fourth edition of the Kenya Avocado Industry Excellence Awards 2023 aimed to celebrate individuals and corporations with outstanding contributions to the Kenyan avocado industry.
Following the nominations, Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Mr. Chris Flowers, who picked the Avocado Person of the Year award last year, said the recognition will help foster further professional growth of the fledgling agricultural business sub-sector.
“Such reward schemes are a necessary ingredient to celebrate value chain players who are working to guarantee the quality, integrity, and sustainability of locally produced avocados,” he said.
While paying tribute to Kakuzi stakeholders for their continued commitment to excellence, he added that the firm will also sustain focus on its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and climate action/sustainability initiatives.
“We are honored and excited by the nominations alongside our industry peers,” Flowers said. “We continue to encourage and participate in such industry initiatives as part of our corporate commitment to grow the local avocado production and export opportunity.”
He further added that since Kenya is currently ranked fifth in the global production and export rankings of quality avocados, the industry must continue to work hard to secure this coveted market position locally and internationally through quality-assured production and commitment to sustainability through ESG frameworks.
Kakuzi’s avocado sales have recently accelerated, with exports to Europe and China peaking. Further avocado business growth is expected in the harvest season next year as exports to Malaysia and India begin to dispatch.
In its half-year trading results released last August, the firm, which recently adopted a new corporate brand identity, enjoyed a more than double profit lift against its avocado export business, which posted a KES 654.8 million (USD 4.28 million) growth, up from KES 288.6 million (USD 1.89 million) posted last year.
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