The export of passion fruit from Kenya is not always easy. “They taste delicious and are much sweeter than many other types of passion fruit. This is because we pick them later. It is challenging to supply them to European countries with the right shelf life, but we are always looking for the best possible logistical solutions. We send fresh passion fruit to the Netherlands every week. We listen to consumers, who want to buy ready-to-eat products more and more often.”
Year-round
The Kenyan company Miyonga supplies various exotic fruits and vegetables. Yvonne Otieno, Miyonga’s CEO, indicates that they mostly grow these fruits and vegetables themselves. “Additionally, part is supplied by other cultivators. From 2014, we were given permission to export, and have been doing so for almost two years. The most important European companies we supply are located in Germany and the Netherlands. Besides, we export to South Africa and Norway, and we recently started exporting to the UK. The Dutch love our passion fruit and avocado. We also have demand for legumes. The advantage is that we can produce and supply many products year-round. Take, for example, aubergines: we also export them in winter, when the season is over in various European countries.”
Enthusiasm
Yvonne sees many opportunities in Europe. “We have a wide supply with beautiful Kenyan products, and we can meet requirements set by Europe. Besides, we have knowledge of these fruits and vegetables, and we think it is wonderful to build long-term relationships with our customers. Our enthusiasm can be found throughout the company, and, additionally, we are always open to novelties and innovations. We follow the news and the consumer trends, and anticipate those!”
