Nairobi, April 9 -- Kenya issued over Sh5 billion-worth of export certificates this year during its own avocado export ban, moving into heavy non-compliance and triggering a nationwide shortage after early exports that risk damaging the country's global fruit reputation.

Industry-wide sources claim that Kenya's avocado sector, a top player in the global market, changed two years ago, following the introduction of a closed season to prevent exporting of unripe fruits. This coincided with the non-compliant authorisation of heavy exports by a handful of leading companies during the bans.

These companies have sourced country-wide during the last two bans, and risk hurting the reputation of Kenyan avocados in world markets as unripe, rubbery...