Uhuru’s Flowers to UK Timely as Markets Reopen

Kenya’s Horticulture Industry has started its operations with various flower farms in Naivasha reopening. This comes after the Dutch auction (Kenya’s main flower market), and other European supermarkets resumed operations after a long period of closedown caused by the ongoing pandemic.

Cargo flights have recorded an increase favoring the sector, something which has seen a 50% increase in flower shipment to Europe in the last two weeks.

Speaking about the same, Maridadi flower farm, Jack Kneppers, said that only 20% of their flowers were disposed of unlike previously when 80% of the flowers were going to waste due to the pandemic effects.

The Kenya Flower Council earlier last month stated that demand for the commodity was on the rise, with farmers expected to export almost 3,500 tons of cut flowers per week.

Currently, Kenya ranks the fourth position globally in the flower business, with the sector employing over 150,000 people and definitely among the country’s top foreign earners. In 2018 alone, cut flowers earned the country KSh113 billion.

This comes a few weeks after President Uhuru Kenyatta sent flowers to London, UK, a symbol of the strong economic ties amid Covid-19.

The flowers were to persons at the frontline in the fight against Coronavirus in the European nation. These included doctors, nurses, recuperating patients, and care homes.