Look into African market, minister tells flower farmers

Flower farmers have been asked to venture into African markets in order to increase the produce exports and enhance profit. Assistant minister for Foreign affairs Mr Richard Onyonka said despite Kenya being a leader in flower exports in Europe,the produce had failed to get its way into African states.

He urged the flower industry to take advantage of the good business ties with other East African states and Africa as a whole. The minister regretted that despite the country being a leading exporter of the commodity to Euorope, the sector has not ventured in the African market.

He said he was shocked when in a recent conference in Rwanda, a businessman from Nigeria said they were not receiving flowers from Kenya yet they imported from Europe. “We are controlling the flower market in Europe” he said, adding that “we are supplying an estimated 40 percent flowers to Europe yet we have failed to control the African market”.

“We are now faced with the greatest challenge yet. Apart from increasing costs and shrinking demand, we have to reckon with Colombia’s invasion of Europe after the US shut its doors,” said the minister “we should therefore look into African market”. Kenya’s dominance in the European flower market is under threat from Colombia.

The South American country is reportedly dumping its flowers in the EU after its traditional market, the US, collapsed in the wake of erosion of consumer power by the global crisis.