By 2006 it had become apparent that the avocado supply in New Zealand was both uncertain and insufficient to keep up with growing international demand for extra virgin avocado oil.
After considerable research in Australia and South America we selected the Central Highlands of Kenya as the base fo… read morer our second avocado oil production plant. In 2007 we began a pilot project in a temporary facility near Nairobi, and within six months had sourced over 700 small farmholdings, and had them certified organic by Swiss organic certifier IMO.
In 2010 we built a factory in Murang’a, near Thika. With 1,350 small farmholdings now certified organic and supplying us with avocados, we have a capacity in Kenya of 900MT of organic extra virgin avocado oil per year.
Olivado’s factory in Kenya is managed and staffed by Kenyans. We have a policy of employing staff with initiative, not necessarily education.