SELECT BREEDING Cultivating Innovation in Kenyan Floriculture

Select Breeding, a pioneer in rose breeding, is revolutionizing the Kenyan floriculture industry with its introduction of new rose varieties.

The company’s latest offerings, including the versatile FireFox and the premium Red Bentley, are poised to elevate the country’s floral exports.

FireFox: A Versatile Beauty

FireFox, a marvel of horticultural engineering, is available in a stunning spectrum of colors, including vibrant red, sunny yellow, and captivating bicolor combinations.

This versatile rose is equally at home in both low-altitude and high-altitude growing environments, offering unparalleled flexibility to growers.

Its robust nature, combined with its captivating beauty, makes FireFox a prized possession for florists and consumers alike.

Red Bentley: A Luxurious Red

For those who seek the epitome of elegance and sophistication, Red Bentley is the ultimate choice. This premium rose, with its deep, velvety red hue, is the epitome of luxury. Ideally suited for intermediate and high-altitude growing conditions, Red Bentley offers exceptional vase life, making it a reliable and long-lasting addition to any floral arrangement.

“These new varieties are competing with strong varieties in the markets. And for growers in Kenya, it’s a new addition to the assortment, to compete with the famous Dutch Red, Naomi Rose in the Netherlands,” says Michael de Geus, co-founder of the company. The first commercial growers planted the new variety two years ago and the demand is growing steadily.

Operations

At the heart of Select Breeding’s operations lies its state-of-the-art nursery and main facility in the Netherlands. The modern 5,000 square meter greenhouse serves as the epicenter of innovation, where extensive cross-fertilization is conducted on cut roses, garden roses, and patio roses.

The initial selection process for cut roses takes place here, with promising new varieties being sent to testing facilities in Kenya and Colombia for further evaluation under diverse climatic conditions. Each year, approximately 800 new rose varieties undergo rigorous testing to identify the most exceptional cultivars.

Since 2012, Select Breeding has established a dedicated test and show greenhouse in Naivasha, Kenya. Situated at an altitude of 1,920 meters, this 5,000 square meter facility provides an ideal environment for evaluating new rose varieties under Kenyan conditions.

The greenhouse showcases the latest cultivars, allowing growers to witness firsthand the exceptional quality and performance of Select Breeding’s offerings.

Select Breeding’s global reach extends to South America, where it has been actively engaged since 2014 through a strong partnership with Icon Selections. This collaboration has led to the establishment of a testing facility and showroom at the Flores el Tandil nursery in the Bogotá savanna region.

The 3,000 square meter showroom, located at an elevation of 2,600 meters, offers a stunning display of Select Breeding’s diverse range of roses, inspiring growers and showcasing the company’s commitment to innovation and excellence.

“Depending on the growers’ demand they select certain varieties from our breeding program which fit into their assortment. And then we closely work together for one to one and a half year to have a commercial introduction. Once the grower introduces the product commercially, demand begins to grow” says Michael.

Select Breeders understands that growers are constantly seeking improvements in existing varieties—whether in production performance, shelf life, or transportability. As a result, they set goals to align with market demands. Despite the breeding process to come up with a new product taking 6 to 8 years, the breeders are determined to meet customer demands.

“Therefore, we invested two years ago in a new trial greenhouse in Nini Flowers to give better service to the growers, by having them over our breeding farm to see the new products in an early stage,” says the breeder.

Select Breeders together with their Colombian partner -Icon selections, have also introduced a new line of Spray Roses which they started breeding 5 years ago and are coming up with the first commercial varieties in the market.

“Demand for spray rose flowers has grown rapidly in recent years, and we are working to meet that demand by developing a productive retail spray rose line. This initiative was started by our partner, who requested a productive retail spray rose variety in a range of colours. We have now expanded this approach to our Kenyan market as well.”

Michael further encourages growers to do group marketing to increase Kenya’s competitive edge in the flower export market.

“If you want to create growth, you have to create demand in the end markets like the Middle East or Europe. So, the only thing that can be done is to do better promotion. To do better promotion and more promotion. But many growers are promoting individually you know. It should be good if they can promote as a group.”