Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) Programme From Seedling to Global Shelf: How Eldoret’s Avocado Pack House Is Transforming Local Economies In the heart of Eldoret Municipality, a quiet revolution is underway. What began as a county-led diversification effort—distributing over 200,000 avocado seedlings to farmers weary of maize volatility—has blossomed into a full-fledged export ecosystem, anchored by a state-of-the-art avocado pack house operated by The Fresh Products Limited (TFP). A New Crop, A New Hope For decades, Uasin Gishu County’s agricultural identity was synonymous with maize and wheat. But erratic prices and climate shocks pushed farmers to rethink their future. With support from the County Government, smallholders began planting Hass and Fuerte avocados— varieties prized in global markets for their creamy texture and long shelf life.
Figure 1: Deputy British High Commissioner Dr. Ed Barnett visits the Avocado packhouse in Eldoret and is walked through the process by the Fresh Products CEO. Mr. Stephen Githiga
Among them was Mary Chebet, a former maize farmer from Kapsoya ward. “I planted 50 avocado trees in 2021. By 2025, I was earning ten times what I made from maize,” she says. “And I didn’t have to worry about middlemen anymore.” Farmers who planted avocado trees in 2021 are projected to earn significantly more than they did from maize, with early adopters already reporting promising returns. The turning point came with the establishment of the Eldoret avocado pack house—a £2.2 million investment co-financed by SUED’s seed fund and TFP. Strategically located near the NOREB region’s avocado belt, the facility aims to process over 6,000 tonnes annually, with cold storage, grading, waxing, and packaging lines that meet European export standards.