The Githunguri Avocado Cooperative Society (GAS) will be launched and open its new premises on September 12 at the Githunguri Stadium.
The event is expected to bring together farmers, agribusiness associates, banks, and other key players in the agricultural sector.
The new cooperative merges hundreds of Githunguri and the neighboring areas’ avocado farmers with a vision of improving livelihood.
The farmers will be provided with better markets, technical training, and funds through the society. The launch is seen as a major step in enabling local producers and establishing Kiambu as a main player in Kenya’s fast-growing avocado industry.
The organizers have claimed that the cooperative will help the smallholder farmers in mitigating long-standing problems such as limited market access, post-harvest losses, and poor bargaining power.
Through collaboration, the members will be in a position to access both regional and international avocado markets.
Githunguri MP Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba, who has long been a champion of the project, also hailed its launch. “This cooperative is a dream realized for our farmers. It will open new doors to better markets and training and solidify the agricultural pillar of Githunguri. I am privileged to stand with our farmers at this moment,” she said.
The initiative has gained immense support from stakeholders such as the Githunguri Constituency Office, Githunguri Dairy Cooperative, Equity Bank Githunguri branch, Nova Garden Limited, Komothai Coffee Growers Society, Avocado Farmers Producer Association, Safi Fresh Fruits Limited, Edufruqt Fresh Ltd, Bank of Africa, Sakifarm Ltd, Fresh Produce Consortium, Purevado, and Keitt among others.
Some of the activities for the day will be exhibitions, partner interactions, and farmer training sessions that cover up-to-date farming methods, value addition, and export markets.
There will be over 1,000 attendees including farmers, agribusiness investors, and government officials.
The launch is taking place at a time when Kenya is consolidating its status as a leading world avocado exporter, with cooperatives being key to promoting quality, joint marketing, and sustainable farming.