As the industry is getting into one of the busiest period of the yr , logistics - have-to doe with challenges do n’t seem to facilitate . In fact , with the huge demand carry from Valentine ’s Day , and Woman ’s Day , to Mother ’s Day , such challenge are even more urgent . “ The need is high , ” say Clement Tulezi , CEO of the Kenyan Flower Council ( KFC ) . “ Yet , there is a planetary pink wine shortfall . There have been shortages in the past , but recently these have mainly to do with COVID . ”
Clement Tulezi at the IFTF , back in 2019 , the Netherlands
“ In all the markets , people are looking for roses , ” he continue . “ This would be an ideal berth for us , since Kenya is a rosiness - grow country primarily . When there is a shortage , we can be indisputable that we can move our Cartesian product , and we can also rely on good prices . Yet , logistics is a Brobdingnagian global trouble now , as well as the increased fertilizer prices . All of that put a huge strain on the potential revenue of the industry as a whole . ”
move up Department of Transportation and operational costsThis means that while rose prices are high , and people are even uncoerced to pay for that , most of that money would be used to offset the cost of the fertiliser and the cost of the freight .
“ As of now , the median cost per kilo to move Kenyan flowers is $ 5.7 , which is three sentence high than it used to be . Then , you have the increased operational cost on the other last ; considering how everything has become so expensive , the manufacture would hardly be able-bodied to sell for a net lucre . ”
Although those are all ball-shaped challenges , Tulezi and the KFC have affiance the government and suggested possible local solution to support the Kenyan flower industry . “ There are a few affair that could be adjusted here so the industry could greatly profit from , ” he remarks . “ As of now , every flight to Nairobi has to go to their cornerstone airport before going to the market emplacement . This adds up to the price . We consider that if the government can issue permits for the direct movements of foreign passenger aircrafts from Nairobi to the food market destination , then it will ease the monetary value burden and keep our competitiveness . On top of that , we have asked our politics to allow more foreign passenger flights , only temporarily though . This would be expert throughout this stop , from Valentine ’s to Mother ’s Day . ”
Local solutionsTulezi persist in to explain that KFC has been attempt to convince the government to see the bigger motion-picture show , which is not necessarily about Kenyan flowers only . “ First of all , it ’s not about flowers . Floriculture is the secondly biggest export sub - sphere in Kenya , and it does n’t live in a vacuum cleaner . There are a lot of problem , and other sector too , that are deeply intertwined with floriculture . This intend that there are other jobs and sectors at stakes ; and supporting our industry would have prescribed ripple effects . ”
Consequences would pass off not only in Kenya but elsewhere too . “ There are only a smattering of land other than us that produce the kind of flower we grow , ” Tulezi points out . “ If we ca n’t drive home , it means that the market would be left with a immense gap . Only a few places have the growing conditions to bring forth roses and other outdoor flowers and ornamental , and it is not that they can make more than what they do . As the Kenyan flower industriousness , we bear the global flower business : imagine the complication that our sudden decline could have on the global flower trade . We have to survive day by day , and hope that solutions are quickly found . ”
For more information : Kenya Flower CouncilSuite 12 , 4th Floor , The Greenhouse Building , Adams Arcade , along Ngong RoadMobiel : +254 ( 0)733 639 523[email protected]kenyaflowercouncil.org
© FloralDaily.com/Andrea Di Pastena
