Kenya Flower Council giving a life- line to small scale summer flower growers

Many people know of roses exported from Kenya but the sector has expanded and summer flowers have visibly increased. They are being grown mostly by small scale farmers and few medium scale farmers.

KFC has come in handy to support summer flower growers. They have been providing them with trainings on good flower production practices. Beside the trainings, the council is offering them certification. The trainings and certifications are important to enable them secure market for their flowers.

The council caters for 50% of the total amount required for the trainings. Paul Mwirigi is one of the farmers who have benefitted from the trainings that have constantly been offered by the council. “Recently, the council has introduced the newest certification; Global Grasp will blend with KF 1758 certification. Having the Global Grasp certification will be the certification that will enable small scale growers’ access to the European market,” says Paul. On environmental criteria, the required level is set as being equivalent or higher as the Global G.A.P for flowers & ornamentals; being the internationally recognized standard for farm production.

KFC audits on small scale groups shows that the main challenge facing the growers is failure to keep proper farming records. According to Mwirigi, KFC is committed in helping them. The trainings are positively contributing to youth empowerment and poverty alleviation as envisaged in the country’s Vision 2030 blueprint.

“When they visited my farm, they encouraged me to build a store and also establish a grading hall which I didn’t have in the first place. These two have been very helpful in growing my flowers and maintaining quality. Besides, I also learnt how to dispose of chemical tins which I have already emptied their contents. Initially, I used to just store them in my house and dispose to the compost pit which now I know is a health hazard to the fauna and flora,” he elaborated.

The number of flowers produced by small-scale farmers in Kenya has been on the rise in recent years, but few are able to sell in the export market due to high freight charges. Reports reveal that it costs up to 4 U.S. dollars per kilo to ship flowers to America or to European Union through Netherlands. This amount is too high for smallholder farmers.

Small scale farmers in the country grow summer flowers that include eryngium and arabicum, which are bulky, thus attract high freight charges which have also kept on increasing. “Some growers are switching to light produce as they aim for bigger margins,” he said.

Arabicum is the most common and is highly sought in the export market to blend roses because of its beautiful white and yellow flowers. “Production of arabicum is common among small scale summer flower growers in South Kinangop, it is an easy out-door product. However, the supply to the market has kept on reducing over the years,” Mwirigi said. The situation has forced some small-scale farmers in Kenya who produce small volumes to sell through agents, and therefore earn less.

Before Covid, Paul says that the market was quite impressive though it was a little bit shrinking. When Covid struck, most markets did crush though they are picking up slowly. To adapt to the situation, they scaled down on production.

“Before, I ventured into this business; I secured market from a local agent since it is quite expensive to export your own produce directly. I worked with the buyer’s agronomist to ensure that the flowers I produced were acceptable to them,” said Paul, who sells the products to Wilmar Flowers based in Thika.

Through the Flowers and Ornamental Sustainability Standard (F.O.S.S) popularly known KFC Silver, the council continues to promote sustainability in the floriculture industry, focusing on Members, Markets, and Environment as well as ensuring compliance of member’s farms.

Understanding the Export Market

Exporting of produce can be very rewarding in diverse ways. Some of the steps that can be followed in adequately preparing for export business includes:
1. Export readiness
2. E-registration
3. Understanding the market
4. Export plan
5. Exports Documents and procedures
6. Logistics and Freights
7. Export pricing
8. Export Finance
9. Legal Issues
To develop a successful export business, a good understanding of target market(s) is essential. This involves conducting research on export destination(s). A good market research should not only be based on facts and figures but should also focus on factors that drive the target market(s).

To have a good understanding of the market, one should attend market-specific seminars, relevant trade fairs and embassies to gather information.

Gather basic market information regarding import regulations, trade statistics, tariff regimes and much more

Various Market Analysis tools can be handy in this respect.

Research on competitor’s market(s). Find out what they are doing right.
Seek practical advice from experienced exporters.

Develop direct contacts with potential buyers.

Understand the market environment such as culture, demography, religion, currency among others

There are numerous online Market Analysis-tools available. Some of these tools can be accessed for free.

A good market research enables, identification of the most promising market, will give inputs for Export Marketing Plan (EMP), guide on the competitive environment of the target market. It will also minimize risks and maximize prospects.