• HC Marriott called on UK residents to "buy a bunch..to support the vital industry" [as] most of the businesses are owned by Britons.
• She shared a clip that showed a hill of flowers dumped, with a tractor pilling them together as trash.
UK High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott has called on Britons to buy Kenyan flowers to rescue the industry from collapse in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Noting that 70 per cent of rose flowers in the UK are from Kenya, the High Commissioner on Saturday said that 85 per cent of the flowers are unsold and are rotting in the UK as the global economy takes a hit from Covid-19
Marriot called on UK residents to "buy a bunch..to support the vital industry" as most of the businesses are owned by Britons.
"To those in the UK - we are huge consumers of Kenya's beautiful flowers. 70% of UK roses are from Kenya. 85% of Kenya's flowers are rotting, unsold. Please buy a bunch if you can: cheers you up. Supports a vital industry (most are British businesses)," Marriott wrote on Twitter.
She shared a clip that showed a hill of flowers dumped, with a tractor pilling them together as trash.
#buyflowersnottoiletpaper
— Jane Marriott (@JaneMarriottFCO) March 21, 2020
To those in the UK - we are huge consumers of Kenya's beautiful flowers. 70% of UK roses are from Kenya. 85% of Kenya's flowers are rotting, unsold. Please buy a bunch if you can: cheers you up. Supports a vital industry (most are British businesses). pic.twitter.com/gQKvF2WoP8
"The floriculture sector is currently going through tough times. You can help us now!" the clip subtitles read.
"Each day millions of flowers are thrown away. Right now is the time to buy flowers or plants for yourself, friends, neighbours or your family..help us," it added with the hashtag #BuyFlowerNotToiletPaper.
Marriott's call for help comes barely days after the sector players issued a warning that it would lay off workers as the economy continues to take a hit from the pandemic.