National Government Administration (NGAA) officials in Gatanga Constituency, have raised alarm over increased theft of farm produce, notably the avocado fruit.
Subsequently, the government has introduced new guidelines and measures to curtail the theft, which has intensified with the opening of the sale window season, as the fruit nears maturity.
The guidelines will restrict movement and ensure traceability of the fruit, in a bid to cushion farmers from losses
Speaking in Murang’a, Gatanga Deputy County Commissioner, Damaris Kimondo, observed that the area which is an agricultural rich region has been grappling with theft of the avocado fruit and warned that anybody found contravening the set measures, would be liable to the law.
Kimondo noted that transportation of the avocado fruit at night was henceforth illegal
“Any transportation of the avocados must be before 6pm and after 6am. There will be checks in major entries into the region and thus anyone transporting at beyond the stipulated hours, will not escape law enforcement officers,” she said.
Kimondo stated that, under the new regulations, avocado brokers will now be required to purchase the produce directly from farmers and transport it to the market without using informal village storage facilities.
“Middlemen and brokers will have to buy directly from the farmer but not in stores in town which encourage theft as one can steal and easily dispose even five (5) kilos of the fruit for quick cash,” he asserted.
This, she says, will ensure traceability and help seal loopholes that have been enabling theft and ensure farmers benefit from their hard work.
“From now on, middlemen must buy avocados directly from farmers and transport them to the market,” she added.
Farmers in the region have welcomed the directive, expressing optimism that the move will help safeguard their produce and improve their earnings.
Wilson Mwangi, who has grown avocados for over a decade, narrated how two weeks ago he woke up to empty trees.
He was expecting a bumper harvest. “All the fruits in my three acres of land had been picked at night, it was raining heavily and my farm is quite a distance from my home, so nobody reported hearing anything amiss|,” Mwangi lamented.
The fruits were stolen, maybe loaded into vehicles or transported using motorbikes in the dead of the night,” he decried.
He complained that this was not an isolated case; most of his neighbors had reported theft of their avocado fruits, but with these measures, he noted, people are confident that the theft will be contained.
by Florence Kinyua
