Kenya flower earnings fall to USD 421m in 2009
Kenya - Economic - 02-08-2010

Export earnings by Kenyan flower producers fell to KES 32bn (USD 420.8m) in 2009 from 40bn in 2008, hit by drought at home and the global economic slowdown, the countryquotes flower council said. Flower exports are among the leading foreign exchange earners for the east African economy. The European Union is the main market. Export volumes dropped to 87,000 tonnes from 93,000 tonnes in 2008, Jane Ngige, chief executive of the private Kenya Flower Council, said. quoteWe had a difficult year due to the financial crisis and climate change we cut production because of limited water available, but also in the market place when the winters are too cold consumers donquotet go shopping so there was less demand,quote she said on the sidelines of a flower arranging exhibition. quoteIn 2010 we are hoping to do better than 2009. We would like to beat the target set in 2008 of 93,000 tonnes.quote Late 2009 the Kenya Flower Council said it expected flower exports to drop by 14% to 80,000 tonnes, undermined by drought and a depressed world market. Ngige said many growers cut back production in 2009 to conserve water. quoteVery few of the farms went into expansion and a lot of them retracted production,quote she said. Ngige said the industry was seeking new markets in Europe, Japan and the United States, although the distance to North America presented a challenge. quoteThe biggest challenge is the distance and the fact that we donquotet have any direct flights into the U.S.quote she said.

Source: Reuters