Kenya’s leading foreign exchange earner the horticultural sector, has shown significant growth with various farms expanding their territories and others acquiring new business ventures. In essence the sector is projected to grow at a minimum rate of 15% this year egged on by the expected opening up of the new high value market.
If you triple the wages of workers, the prices of produce will shoot up and Kenya will lose its markets abroad, thus having the opposite effect from what was intended”
As Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) becomes an increasingly hot topic when it comes to public opinion and it’s starting to drive the market. Solopant Kenya Ltd has engaged a higher gear by entering the Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon to reach a wider community.
Flowers & Astrology
Astrology is any of several traditions or systems in which knowledge of the apparent positions of celestial bodies is held to be useful in understanding, interpreting, and organizing knowledge about reality and human existence on earth. Many of those who practice astrology believe the positions of certain celestial bodies either influence or correlate with people´s personality traits, important events in their lives, and even physical characteristics.
The Dutch company NeBu Flowers is about to start in 2012 a new rose farm in the Central African country of Burundi. The greenhouse builder company Bosman is already busy in preparing the erection of some 210 ha of greenhouses, not far away from the international airport of the Capital City Bujumbura, near Lake Tanganyika, on a grounds allocated by the local government.
In spite of the excellent climate for flowerproduction and various government incentives, the export of Mexican flowers is still in its infancy. While Columbia and Ecuador export billions of dollars worth of flowers to the United States every year, Mexican export – even with the much shorter distance – only accounts for some hundred million dollars.
As the worst power rationing in Tanzania’s recent history continues to bite, horticulture industry players demand plans to privatise power generation and distribution of electricity to provide a buffer for the national grid. “We are still of the opinion that the process of privatising power generation should be enhanced and further include power supply,” said a statement issued through the executive director of the Tanzania Horticultural Association (Taha), Ms Jacquiline Mkindi.
Fresh produce exporters to European Union (EU) markets are counting gains as the stronger euro boosted their earnings after it hit record-highs against the shilling. The Kenyan Shilling has shed 30 per cent of its value against the euro in the past seven months — a move that has seen flower and fruit exporters gain extra 30% for every unit of produce they sell to the EU.
This year’s Naivasha Horticultural Fair was held on 16th and 17th September at Naivasha Golf Club. The event which attracted more than 300 exhibitors is the largest exhibition of its kind in Africa and second largest in the world.
Exhibitors from all fronts of horticulture sector showcased their tools of trade and services to thousands of visitors who attended the two-day event.
Kenyan exporters are experiencing mixed fortunes from the weakening shilling as the exchange rates remain unpredictable. On one hand their exports are earning highly while trading with the major currencies, the US dollar and Euro. But on the other hand, the weak shilling has led to sharp increase in the price of raw materials which are mainly imported.
Players in the flower, tea and coffee sectors say there is nothing much to celebrate about the situation, particularly in the long term as their short term gains are eroded. “Indeed, with the loss in value of the shilling, exporters are getting more for each dollar they export. This translates to higher Kenya shillings earnings for exporters.
