Kenya produces some of the sweetest mango and pineapple in Africa, and a growing network of solar and freeze drying plants turns the fruit that cannot travel fresh into a shelf stable product for snack brands, cereal and bakery manufacturers and health food retailers in Europe, the Gulf and North America. Konza Tropicals sources dried and freeze dried fruit from certified processors in Kenya and Uganda, supports those processors on market compliance through our consultancy, and supplies buyers under their own labels.
Products and seasons
| Product | Varieties | Fresh season | Dried supply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dried mango | Apple, Kent, Tommy Atkins, Ngowe | December to March (coast and Eastern), April to June (Western) | Year round from stock, best prices for contracts placed before the December harvest |
| Dried pineapple | MD2, Smooth Cayenne | Year round | Year round |
| Dried banana and coconut | Cavendish, local coconut | Year round | Year round |
| Freeze dried mango, pineapple, passion fruit, strawberry | As above | Seasonal | From processors with freeze dryers; minimum order quantities apply |
Drying methods and what they mean for your product
- Solar and hybrid dehydration gives the classic chewy dried mango with no added sugar; moisture 12 to 18 per cent and water activity below 0.65 for ambient shelf life.
- Hot air dehydration is faster and more uniform, used by the larger plants for private label volume.
- Freeze drying keeps colour, shape and vitamins; moisture below 5 per cent, crunchy texture, used in cereals, snacks and infant food. Price per kilogram is higher because 8 to 10 kg of fruit go into one kilogram of product.
Specifications buyers ask for
Moisture and water activity; sulphur dioxide (most Kenyan processors are sulphur free, which is a selling point in Europe); added sugar (none, unless specified); piece size and format (slices, strips, dices, chunks, powder); colour grade; foreign matter; microbiology; aflatoxin and pesticide residue results from an accredited laboratory. Organic (EU and USDA NOP), HACCP, FSSC 22000 or BRCGS, and Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance certification are available from specific processors, and we match the processor to the certificate your customer requires.
Packaging and labelling
Bulk in 5 to 10 kg food grade bags in cartons for repacking, or retail ready in 50 g to 500 g printed pouches with your artwork, nitrogen flushed where needed. Lead time for printed packaging is four to six weeks, so we plan private label runs with the processor against your forecast.
Pricing and logistics
Dried fruit is priced per kilogram FOB Mombasa or CIF your port, with volume tiers; freeze dried is priced per kilogram with a minimum run per SKU. A 20 foot container holds 8 to 10 tonnes of dried mango in cartons; LCL and air freight are used for trial orders and freeze dried. Transit to Europe is 25 to 30 days by sea.
Tell us the product, format, certification and annual volume; we send samples and a quotation from the right processor, manage the specification, the audit and the documents, and consolidate the shipment. See our dried and freeze dried fruit page or request an offer.
Buyers: exports@konzatropicals.com · Consultancy and partners: consult@konzatropicals.com · Chat on WhatsApp
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