NAIROBI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) Kenya's horticultural exporters and Kenya Airways on Monday signed an agreement to boost the country's exports by leveraging on its extensive international network.
2021-01-06 16:06:34 GMT2021-01-07 00:06:34(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
NAIROBI, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) Kenya s flower exports hit 108.7 billion shillings (about 993 million U.S. dollars) in 2020 compared to 951 million dollars in 2019, the industry said on Wednesday.
Hosea Machuki, CEO, Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, told journalists in Nairobi that the country was able to ship approximately 142,000 tons of flowers despite the international travel restrictions put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. One of the drivers for higher revenues was the reduced supply of flowers in the international market that resulted in higher average prices for flowers, Machuki said.
The measures, which included the closure of borders, saw many farmers unable to export their produce as airlines grounded flights due to the inability to access certain key markets that had also closed their airspaces.
The lockdowns, especially in Europe, which takes 70 per cent of Kenyan flowers, also resulted in a drop in demand for the produce.
Large-scale flower farmers reported instances where they had to dispose of their produce after harvest as they had no markets to deliver them.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
The industry also announced mass layoffs.
It, however, appeared to have turned the corner shortly after, with many countries allowing cargo flights into their airspaces.