Avocados from Global Fruits and Food

• Kenya has over 40 varieties of avocado, where Hass is the main export variety, and Fuerte is preferred for processing. Hass and Fuerte are the most exported varieties from Kenya.

  Hass & Fuerte Other commercial varieties identified in Kenya include Keitt, Reed, Booth 8, Simmonds, Pinkerton, Nabal, Puebla, Tonnage, Ettinger, Hayes, G6, and G7. Puebla, Fuerte, Duke, G6, and G7 are varieties used as rootstocks.Seventy percent (70%) of the avocados are grown by smallholder farmers who have 5-20 trees per homestead, 20% by medium-scale farmers who have over 100 trees, and 10% by large commercial plantations which have 10 hectares or more in production.
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• What is the difference between Hass, Fuerte, and Kienyeji avocados?

  Hass avocados & Fuerte avocados

  Kenya provides an ideal environment for avocados especially due to the subtropical climates. African avocados have gained recognition globally, with the majority of exported avocado varieties being from South Africa and Kenya. Hass and Fuerte are the most exported varieties from Kenya. There are slight differences between Hass, Fuerte, and Kienyeji avocados. For instance,

  Hass Avocados

  The skin of hass avocado becomes dark when ripe. The ripeness can be determined by a gentle squeeze. They are served when the inside is white-green. This variety has an intense flavor and creamy flesh making it suitable for making guacamole. Hass avocado takes lesser time to mature and produce more yields.

  Fuerte Avocados

  This variety has a characteristic elongated form with glossy and thin skin. They have a bright green, loose, textured skin that is easy to peel. They do not soften and hence hard to determine when they are ripe. They have a low-fat content and calorie count compared to hass avocados. They are mainly used to make salads since they can be easily sliced and diced.

  Kienyeji Avocados also Known as local avocados

  Compared to hass avocado, local avocados are larger in size and have a low-fat content. For instance, 3 slices of kienyeji avocado contain about 3 grams of fat while has avocado contains 4.6 grams. They take a couple of years to mature and some can even take a decade.

  
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