Which Are the Best Avocado Varieties in Kenya?

Wondering which avocado is best in Kenya? This post gives you the best 6 avocado types in this region. The avocado tree cultivar directly affects your production cost, yields, and income. To make your choice easy, this guide will highlight the yield per tree, fruit weight, and oil content among other features to help your analysis.

Kenya has over 40 types of avocados. The best commercial types grown for sale are the Hass (export market) and Fuerte (processing). Other popular avocado varieties in Kenya are the Keitt, Reed, Booth 8, Simmonds, Pinkerton, Nabal, Puebla, Tonnage, Ettinger, Hayes, G6, and G7 among others. This post will compare the key features of the most common varieties for you.

How to choose the best avocado tree variety in Kenya?

Are you considering commercial avocado farming in Kenya? To settle on the best avocado variety, consider the following factors for your choice. market demand, yield potential, disease resistance, harvest timing as well as fruit shipping and storage features.

1. Market demand: Grow an avocado variety which has a high market demand. It will help you sell your fruit at a good price and maximize your profits. In Kenya, the most popular avocado fruits are;
   • Hass (in the export market)
   • Fuerte (in the processing sector)
   • Puebla (in the local market)
2. Yield and productivity: Choose an Avocado variety that is high in yield and productivity.
3. Disease resistance: Plant an avocado variety with disease and pest resistance to the common avocado diseases in your area.
4. Harvesting Period: Grow an avocado variety whose harvest timing fits with your marketing plan and schedule.
5. Fruit Features: If you are growing avocados for sale, choose a variety that is more resilient to shipping and storage.

As a rule, if you are growing avocado trees for money; choose a variety that will produce high-quality fruits, that meet the needs of your customers and maximize your profits. If you are growing them for food at home; choose an avocado variety, that fits your personal preferences for flavor and texture, as well as practical factors like ripening time, size, and yield

Avocado Types in Kenya

There are 3 horticultural races of avocado in Kenya. They originated either in Mexico, Guatemala, or
the West Indies. A Hybrid of the above-mentioned races has the characteristics of both parents. West Indian race is usually found between sea level and 1000 m. The Guatemalan race is best adapted to an altitude between 1000 and 2000 m while the Mexican race flourishes best from 1500 to 2500 m. Further information about each race is given below.

Best avocado Varieties in Kenya

The table below gives you the fruits per tree variety, the fruit sizes, and their weight to help you choose the best. Varieties with higher yields give you better returns on your investment.

Hass

The Hass avocado is the best variety in Kenya for selling your fruits to the export market. Its tree has vigorous growth and requires occasional pruning. and grows upright. Which has a consistent bearing throughout the year. Its fruits have an outstanding shelf-life and shipping characteristics making it one of the best for export farming. The recommended planting spacing for Hass avocado in Kenya is 7 x 8m. It’s a heavy-yielding variety and has excellent eating quality.

On the other hand, the Hass avocado fruits are green at early stages and then brown on maturity. Very slightly pebbled, oval-pear-shaped. Skin is thin and leathery. It’s a late variety with small-medium fruit.

• Fruit is medium in size 290-380 g.
• Pear-shaped fruit with a length of 5.5 cm and width of 6.4 cm.
• Recommended Spacing 7 x 8 M.
• oil content is high 18-23 %.
• Yield ranges from 800 fruits per tree
• Matures 8-9 months after flowering.

Fuerte

Fuerte is the best avocado variety in Kenya for processing purposes. It is one of the most popular cultivar for export in many parts of the world. Fruits are green and slightly pebbled with good flavor. Its skin is thin and the seed is medium and conical. It’s a mid-season variety. The fruit is green even when ripe. Eating quality is excellent but tends to alternate bearing. The tree is light-medium large and spreading

• Fruit is medium in size 290-380 g.
• Pear-shaped fruit with a length of 11.3 cm and width 7.5 cm.
• Recommended Spacing 8 x 10 M.
• oil content is high 16-25 %.
• Yield ranges from 800-1000 fruits per tree
• Matures 6-8 months after flowering.

Entigger

The Entigger avocado tree variety grows vigorously and upright. It is light to medium but a regular producer of fruits. Its fruit ripens at mid-season, slightly before or together with Fuerte.

The variety produces light green, medium-sized fruit that is elongated and pear in shape. It weighs between 250-400g. This avocado type has skin that is thin polished, tough, and leathery. These features are good attributes for shipping making Entigger a good avocado variety for the export market. The fruit’s flesh is light yellow almost free from fiber, soft melting, and ripens uniformly. The seed is cone-shaped and it’s of average size. It is set loosely in its cavity.

• Fruit weight; 250-400 g.
• Fruit Size; length of 11.3 cm and width 7.5 cm.
• Recommended Spacing 7 X 8 M.
• Oil content is high 18-22 %.
• Yield ranges from 500-800 fruits per tree

Pinkerton

The Pinkerton avocado tree is of a medium size, but, it is more spreading than Hass. It is an early maturing variety that is produced regularly and heavily. The fruits ripen in the mid to late season. The recommended planting space for Pinkerton avocado in Kenya is 7 x 7 m. It has good local and export markets. Yield ranges from 800-1000 fruits per fully mature tree
The Pinkerton avocado fruits are long and pear-shaped. They are dark green and normally weigh 250-410 g. The skin is medium-thick, leathery and pebbled. Its flesh has a high-quality pale green with a high oil content ranging between 18-20 %. It has a smooth, creamy texture. It has a small seed that separates easily from the flesh with a coat adhering to the seed.

• Fruit weight; 250-410 g.
• Fruit size; length of 11.3 cm and width of 7.5 cm.
• Reccomended Spacing;7 X 7M.
• Oil content is high 18-20 %.
• Yield ranges from 800-1000 fruits per tree

Puebla

Puebla is a medium-sized and medium-season avocado variety in Kenya. The fruit is ovate with a skin that is smooth glossy and purplish red at maturity. The light green flesh is juicy, melting, and of good flavor. Puebla avocado has an oil content of 20 %. The seed is medium to large and tightly fixed.
The Puebla tree grows fast with dropping branches but does not set fruit regularly. It’s a good pollinator for Fuerte as well as a good rootstock. It’s a good yielder giving 500-800 per tree

• Fruit mass; 170-450 g.
• Fruit size; length of 10 cm and width 7 cm.
• Reccomended Spacing;8 X 10 M.
• Oil content is high 20 %.
• Yield ranges from 500-800 fruits per tree
• Matures 5-7 months after flowering.

Linda

The Linda avocado tree is not vigorous and has a slightly spreading habit. It’s a regular bearer and starts production at an early age. It is a mid-season variety. The Linda avocado fruits vary in shape from oval to elliptical. It’s purple when ripe and weighs 250-800g. It has a thick rough skin that is tough with seeds that are small and tight. The melting flesh is yellowish with a very pleasing flavor. Linda fruits have a moderate oil content of 10-15 % with no fibers. The recommended spacing for planting Linda avocado is 7 x 7 m. Its yield ranges from 500- 800 fruit for a mature tree

• Fruit mass; 250-800 g..
• Reccomended Spacing;7 X 7 M.
• Oil content is high 10-15 %.
• Yield ranges from 500-800 fruits per tree

Other Varieties

In addition to the above very commercialized avocado cultivars, there are many others. The table below is a summary of additional varieties grouped on their harvesting period from their blooming period usually in August/September.

The West Indian cultivars are the early maturing and take 5 – 8 months. The Mexican cultivars are midseason and take 6 – 8 months. Finally, the Guatemalan cultivars are late maturing and can take 10 – 15 months to mature.

Where to grow Avocados in Kenya

Are you looking for the best areas to grow avocados in Kenya? The fruit types perform best under the following agroecological conditions in terms of altitude, rainfall, growing temperatures, and soil requirements.

• 1,200 – 2,200 meters above sea level Soil Characteristics
• A temperature of 25 – 30 °C
• The altitude of 1,200 – 2,200 meters above sea level
• Deep fertile and well-aerated soils (sandy, alluvial loam)
• A soil pH value of 5-7.

FAQs about Avocado seedlings