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The past two and half years have seen the world grapple with some of the biggest challenges facing humanity in recent times. Kenya and Kenya’s floriculture industry was not spared by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Whilst demand for our products remained strong, after getting over the initial shock of Covid, freight or should I say lack of freight capacity coupled with massive hikes in freight rates, introduction of more stringent taxation, the industry grappling with control of the False Codling Moth (FCM) has made the last period challenging.

Despite these challenges, the industry adapted, as it does and performed remarkably well over the last two and half years.

Augusto Solano succeeds outgoing President Richard Fox (Kenya Flower Council, Kenya), who has served on the Union Fleurs Board of Directors since 2008 and held the position of Vice-President from 2014 to 2018 and President since 2018.

Richard Fox was the first representative of a non-European member country to hold the presidency in the 60 years of existence of Union Fleurs. The Board of Directors and members of Union Fleurs are immensely grateful to Richard Fox for his outstanding service and highly valuable contribution to Union Fleurs over the past 14 years and for his achievements in promoting the collective mission of Union Fleurs, as well as for his relentless efforts over the years to secure the continuation of the free trade of floricultural products, particularly between Kenya, the EU and the UK. They also acknowledge his long-standing dedication in promoting socially and environmentally sustainable business practises both in Kenya and globally as representative of the trade on behalf of Union Fleurs on the Board of Directors of FSI, the Floriculture Sustainability Initiative from its inception in 2013 to 2022.

The Ninth edition of the International Flower Trade Expo (IFTEX) Nairobi took place on May 3oth –June 1st, at the Visa Oshwal Centre, Westlands, Nairobi. Below is a chat with Dick van Raamsdonk, President HPP, and the organizer of the event;

After staging eight consecutive IFTEX exhibitions in Nairobi, you were happy with the outcome, one of the reasons why even after two years of absence due to Covid the event is back this year. What would you attribute this success to considering you indicated earlier shows exceeded expectations?
The fact that Kenya is the only country in the world where the production area of flowers structurally increases is a strong indicator that the sector -overall- is in a good shape. Moreover, growth in a worldwide economic turmoil shows that the sector has to row against the stream and still moves forward. This cannot mean anything different than strength for even more growth when coming into calm waters. Therefore IFTEX is an excellent instrument for the Kenyan floriculture Industry to support and accelerate this growth.

Informing, advising and debating in order to improve the quality productivity of our floriculture sector in the region. That is the aim of Floriculture Magazine.

By Mary Mwende Mbithi

Nathan A. Cobb, the father of American nematology, in a 1915 quote describes the tremendous ubiquity of nematodes on our planet and says “If all the matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable … we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes, and oceans represented by a film of nematodes. The location of towns would be decipherable, since for every massing of human beings, there would be a corresponding massing of certain nematodes. Trees would still stand in ghostly rows representing our streets and highways.”

Nematodes are found nearly everywhere, both on land and in the sea. The word ‘nematode’ is derived from the Greek, ‘nema’ meaning ‘thread’ and ‘odes’ meaning ‘resembling’.

By Mary Mwende Mbithi Air freight has for years been the sole mode of transport for flowers in the entire continent. With the international flower

Floriculture Magazine was privileged to have an exclusive tete-a-tete with Chrysal’s Commercial Manager East Africa Redbad Verduijn during Chrysal’s Open day this year.

Briefly discuss Chrysal East Africa Ltd?
Redbad: Chrysal Africa is the regional entity and representation for one of the leading post-harvest and flower food providers in the world. Chrysal international is a Dutch based company with a great track record in the flower industry, that is since a couple of years part of the Japanese OAT Agro group.

By Mary Mwende Mbithi

Flower growers preparing their spray program have yet another reason to smile as Bayer East Africa unveiled a superior liquid formulation and a powerful tool designed to protect against fungal diseases on the leaves and in the of soil as well bacterial diseases. This went down at Interplant Roses located at the Flower Business Park in Naivasha, Nakuru County during a Growers Day organized by Bayer. It was an epoch-making fete as growers showed up in huge numbers all geared up for the launch of Serenade® ASO, a biological fungicide that aims at managing the notorious powdery mildew in roses.

Technical Walk
Growers were taken round the greenhouses by Bayer’s team of agronomists where Bayer had contacted their prior trials before concluding on the effectiveness of the product. Different varieties of roses were showcased in various hydroponics system, and it was certain that Serenade® ASO was a game changer.

Roses inflicted with powdery mildew and those already cured from the latter were neatly displayed growing on pumice and coco peat in the hydroponics. It was evident that indeed Serenade® ASO was doing a wonder in rose growing. The roses treated with Serenade® ASO were spick and span, flourishing and looking healthier than those untreated.

He is Passionate about his work because it fills a large part of his life, and the only way to be satisfied is to do what he believes is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what he does. In my daily work attention to details is key.

How is it coming from your local primary School and rising to where you are? (Personal and Professional background)
I attended Gathiru-ini Primary School in Githunguri, Kiambu County, then proceeded to the neighbouring Gathiru-ini Secondary School. I was destined to attend Gathiru-ini University but since it did not exist, I attended the University of Nairobi in the Capital undertaking a Bsc Agriculture Degree.