Photo taken on Feb. 4, 2021 shows avocados hanging on a branch of a tree in Muranga County, Kenya. (Photo: Xinhua)

 

Isaac Kinale, an avocado farmer shows an avocado tree on a farm in Muranga County, Kenya, Feb. 4, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)

 
Kenya's exports of avocados hit 72,000 tons in 2020, up from 59,000 tons recorded in the previous year, a government official said on Wednesday.

"The increase in export volumes was partly due to enhanced cultivation of avocado by Kenyan farmers over the past five years," Benjamin Tito, head of Horticultural Crops Directorate, told Xinhua on the phone.

Europe is one of the Kenya's major markets for avocados. Some batches were exported to China as many exporters were still working to meet the conditions set by the Chinese government to warrant the exports of these fruits in large quantities.

The official said the country restricts exports of avocado between November and January every year in order to maintain the quality of avocados to prevent premature harvesting.