Kenyan mango farmers are grappling with a dual crisis of plummeting export demand and staggering post-harvest losses this season, threatening livelihoods across the country's $77 million industry. In Makueni County, a key mango-producing region, trees sag under the weight of unsold fruit, with much of it rotting on the ground.
"We had no buyers," said Dennis Muoki, an agricultural extension officer, describing the unprecedented surplus. "Farmers watched their harvests waste away." The sector, which supports over 200,000 smallholders, faces systemic challenges: drought-reduced fruit sizes, fragmented supply chains, and reliance on brokers who largely vanished this year.
Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization reports 45% of mangoes are lost annually due to poor storage and limited markets. While processors like Iviani Farm pivot to value-added products like dried chips, farmers cite bureaucratic hurdles. "Licensing is expensive and slow," said Iviani manager John Stanley, stifling efforts to tap global demand.
With Kenya ranking fourth in African mango production, stakeholders urge investment in cold storage and export infrastructure to stabilize the sector critical to rural economies.
