• According to the Kenya Flower Council (KFC), transportation of flowers across the EU was easier unlike a year ago.
• Naivasha has over 60 flower farms currently.
Image: GEORGE MURAGE
The flower sector has fully recovered from Covid-19 though the availability of cargo flights and high prices of fertilizer continue to be a major challenge.
According to the Kenya Flower Council (KFC), transportation of flowers across the EU was easier unlike a year ago.
This came as the farmers identified the escalating prices of fuel and fertilizer as the major challenges currently facing the sector that employs thousands directly and indirectly.
According to the council CEO Clement Tulezi, the sector had fully recovered from the pandemic with transportation of cargo had eased though availability of freights continued to be a challenge.
“Currently the emerging challenges in the sector are the new stringent rules by the EU which include reducing use of chemicals, fertilizer and water by the farmers,” he said.
The CEO added that fertilizer was still a challenge to the farmers with the current stock set to last for three months raising fears of a shortage in the coming weeks.
“The current crisis has been brought about by the war between Russia and Ukraine and we hope that the government can assist the farmers import cheaper materials to produce fertilizer,” he said.
On production, Tulezi said that currently farmers were exporting 3,500 tonnes per week adding that this was expected to rise in the coming week during International Mother’s Day.
“We are projecting that production of flowers will rise to 4,500 tonnes per week from next week when demand will be high as the world marks Mother’s Day,” he said.
He at the same time said that they were keenly monitoring the political situation warning that any signs of chaos could completely disrupt the industry.
He termed the sector as critical, noting that cases of violence in the past had paralyzed the sector and sent home hundreds of workers.
“We are calling for peaceful elections and transition as any chaos would lead to workers fleeing and transport of flowers paralyzed,” he said in an interview.
He at the same time expressed the farmers' concern over the rising cost of fuel terming it as a major challenge to the farmers.
Tulezi added that the situation had been worsened by the recent shortage which is yet to be fully addressed forcing farmers to buy fuel at higher prices.
“The profit margins are currently low as demand in the EU market hasn’t changed and the sales earned are going towards fuel and electricity,” he said.