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An employee grades cut flowers at the De Ruiter East Africa showhouse in Naivasha. Flower growers are scouting for new market destinations to diversify their markets away from the traditional European markets. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Kenya’s $800 million flower market is seeing a boost, thanks to China
This flower farm is just one of many in Kenya, which is the fourth largest exporter of cut flowers in the world. In fact, Kenya’s floriculture industry earned more than $800 million in 2017.
“On a daily basis we export 36,000 tons from this country,” said Clement Tulezi, the CEO of Kenya Flower Council. “So we are moving into a place where we want to market ourselves better, we want to brand ourselves better as a country, and also brand the Kenyan flower.”
And now, Kenya’s fragrant beauties are finding their way to farther shores.
China’s demand
“We are doing Beijing, we are doing Shanghai, and we are doing Guangzhou,” said Irene Nkatha, the sales manager of Red Lands Roses. “We started with one shipment per week, now we are doing two to three shipments per week. The distance is short. It’s only one day to go to Guangzhou, it’s only two days to go to Beijing.”
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