In Gitega, the avocado is no longer a burden for avocado tree owners as it was in the past. The same is true in other provinces of the country. The little that is found on the market is very expensive. Many wonder if the cause might be the exportation of avocados to Tanzania. Another reason could be the grafting of a highly sought-after species in the international market.
At the Gitega market, the women selling avocados are always bargaining over the price with consumers. They say that the avocados are being exported to Tanzania, leading to a price surge for this commodity. The little they have managed to obtain has cost them very dearly.
One of the sellers claims she does not know the cause of the current price increase for avocados. She only explains that if she buys at a high price from the supplier, she is forced to sell at a similarly high price: “The price varies with the size of the avocado. A small avocado sells for 300 BIF or more. The price of a large avocado ranges from 800 to 1000 BIF. Earlier, during the shortage period, an avocado that now costs 800 BIF was sold at 500 BIF. This increase started about 3 months ago,” she specifies.
The seller emphasizes that customers are no longer rushing to buy as before, often leading to avocados rotting. “The less financially secure customers are no longer purchasing avocados. Previously, they could find an avocado for 100 or 200 BIF on our stalls, which is no longer the case today,” she adds. To cope with this high cost, she estimates that more avocado trees need to be produced, although not everyone has a field of avocado trees at home.
Another seller states that the price of this fruit has increased due to the current economic situation. “I cannot sell my avocado at a price that will not benefit me. I need to feed my family with that avocado,” she explains. For this seller, the situation will not change soon because as long as the prices of other products are not reduced, avocados will also not be spared.
A buyer encountered at the Gitega market believes the cause might be the brick sellers who buy, cut, and use many avocado trees in the production of baked bricks. “Not long ago, our region was the leading producer of avocados in the whole country. Today, that is no longer the case. In this time when money is hard to find, you cannot spend money meant for feeding your children on an avocado,” he confesses.
He then laments the behavior of those who destroy avocado trees to use them in the manufacturing of baked bricks. He calls on the relevant authorities to use their power to put an end to this phenomenon.
A Flourishing Trade
In the Rugari area of Muyinga commune, close to the road leading to the border with Tanzania, the avocado trade is thriving. Since exporters started buying avocados to transport them to Tanzania, the locals are no longer interested in selling for local consumption. “I have several avocado trees. When customers come, they buy by the sack. I sell a sack of avocados for 13,000 BIF,” shares a local resident.
This elderly avocado seller notes that the price has risen for some time now. He explains that in the past, he could sell a sack for 8,000 BIF, but today he easily sells it for 13,000 BIF.
Since it is not just any type of avocado that is exported to Tanzania, the residents of Muyinga province have learned to graft a variety called Hass onto old avocado trees, highly prized by exporters. This variety is sought after for its derivatives like avocado oil, soap, and hair cream.
One local states that a sack of this variety costs 30,000 BIF or more. “The youths have taken the initiative to cut down avocado trees to graft the new variety. Consequently, its value continues to rise,” he assures. He points out that buyers gather the sacks and load them onto trucks bound for Tanzania. “I cannot know what they do with those avocados on the other side. But they pass through customs,” he testifies.
According to this resident, the major drawback of the new avocado variety is that it is highly threatened by pests, necessitating regular monitoring by agronomists. “When your tree is threatened, agronomists come with pesticides and do not charge you. This is part of the government’s program concerning the multiplication and commercialization of this fruit,” he explains.
Another resident who has learned to graft shares that a grafted avocado tree quickly produces results. “The grafted avocado starts to bear fruit after 8 or 9 months, whereas a cutting will take 3 years to bear fruit,” he explains. He admits that avocados are bringing him a lot of income at the moment. “Two sacks of avocados can yield up to 80,000 BIF,” he rejoices.
He believes that the high cost of avocados is due to exportation. The proof, according to him, is that the number of buyers has increased significantly. Some buy to resell while others purchase for export. “There are clients who buy the germinating flowers from us and then come back later to pick the avocados,” he specifies.
Exportation That Does Not Benefit the Country
Jean-Claude Batungwanayo is the governor of Muyinga province. He states that the cultivation and multiplication of avocados are being mobilized across all localities of the province. He specifies that this new crop is not intended for local consumption but for commercialization to bring foreign currency into the state coffers.
He claims that exports are being made to Tanzania and that the exporters pass through the official border to go to Tanzania. “Several hectares of avocado trees are being planted in our province. Some investors have even planted over 50 hectares. This shows how seriously the population has recognized the importance of this crop in the country’s development,” he specifies.
He estimates that in the coming years, the production of organic avocados will be so large that it will be marketable on the international market. He adds that soon, avocados will be on the international market just like coffee.
Regarding the high cost of avocados on the local market, he explains that today it is not like before when this fruit was intended for local consumption. Recently, people are indeed exporting it abroad. “Even as I speak to you, there are trucks loaded with avocados heading out of the country, and the ministry responsible for commerce is aware of this,” he admits.
Despite this, the governor says that Burundians still have a tendency to exaggerate, claiming that avocados are very expensive. “If you go to Tanzania or elsewhere to check the prices, you will find that here, avocados are cheaper. An avocado that costs less than a tenth of a dollar is indeed cheaper. The days when avocados were picked from under trees are long gone,” he specifies.
However, the problem for him is that these exportations do not bring back to the country the foreign currency it needs. “Our exported avocados do not go beyond Ngara or Kabanga in Tanzania. This means that exporters are unable to repatriate the foreign currency. This also explains the rise in the price of avocados on the local market,” he clarifies.
This administrator states that even if these exports are taking place, regulation has not yet begun. “What we need is the establishment of a commercial circuit like that of coffee or an international market because the current exporters do not earn much. I would not say that the province does not benefit, as those who buy on the local market pay taxes to the municipality. But what we wish for more is to plant these avocados on a large scale for commercialization,” he adds.
The governor of Muyinga points out that to have organic avocados, it requires a lot of resources. “We have those who have already started and who closely monitor the plantations to give us more information,” he specifies. His wish is to see the market in Tanzania brought back onto national territory to increase revenues.
Avocados for Commercialization Are Planted on a Large Scale
In the Gatara and Matongo communes of Kayanza province, many avocado trees have been cut down to graft the internationally sought Hass variety. Regule Nzeyimana, who works for the NGO Oxfam Burundi, which supports local populations, supervises the grafting of avocados and the distribution of fertilizers.
In its agricultural production segment, the NGO is assisting the population of communes in this province in the multiplication of avocados for commercialization. This, according to him, also contributes to environmental protection through good agricultural practices for all. He explains that the segment begins with training.
In addition to the Hass variety, Kayanza province has specialized in the “Ruhere” and “Choquette” varieties in accordance with the government program in this area. Many buyers come looking for these two varieties intending to export them to Tanzania. Mr. Nzeyimana points out that the population is grafting these varieties onto other varieties because they generate a lot of income.
According to him, because of the many buyers competing for these avocados, an avocado that used to sell for 100 BIF now costs 500 BIF: “The price also varies according to size, because it can go up to 700 or even 1,000 BIF,” he explains. He notes that before the advent of buyers who export avocados, prices were more affordable.
The Economic Capital Is Not Spared from Avocado Prices
At the so-called Cotebu market in the urban zone of Ngagara in the urban commune of Ntahangwa,
early in the morning, many women rush to buy avocados to resell in the various mini-markets in the northern neighborhoods of the economic capital. Prices have risen according to a seller who brings these avocados from the interior of the country.
For this trader, the causes are multiple. “Buyers have become numerous, and many of them are scooping everything up to export to Tanzania or Kenya. They leave us with the scraps you see here. There is also transport, which has become a headache,” he explains. He is therefore forced to raise the price to recover the money spent.
A woman named Magnifique, an avocado seller at the small market of Mutakura in the urban zone of Cibitoke, explains that avocados began to become scarce since February of this year. A piece that sold for 200 BIF has risen to 800 BIF or even 1,000 BIF. “Sometimes, the supply locations are empty. When there are avocados, they are very expensive. I don’t know why, but some tell us they are exported to Tanzania,” she recounts.
A Cash Crop
Innocent Banigwaninzigo, a researcher and consultant in the fields of environment, climate change, and agroecology, cites the benefits of avocados to categorize them among export crops. He explains that avocados are used in the manufacture of various products, including cosmetics and agri-food products.
He notes that avocados contain many nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, minerals, trace elements, as well as healthful oils that can combat cardiovascular diseases.
According to this expert, avocados produce no waste: “They are rich in vitamins E and C, which the body needs. This is a crop with great potential, placing it among cash crops,” he explains.
He points out that once avocado farming is organized, it could bring back a lot of foreign currency. “Organizing the avocado value chain should be part of a value chain. Otherwise, avocados will remain for simple consumption,” he specifies.
He adds that the most important thing is to organize farmers in a professional manner to modernize them and the product to present it in such a way that it gains weight on the international market. “This will integrate this crop into cash crops like coffee or tea,” he completes.
According to this expert, the avocado crop may face challenges related to the rampant population growth, such as land scarcity or the mindset of Burundians who have not yet integrated avocados as a crop that can bring in foreign currency. It is not yet applied in a professional manner.
