30: 04:2026
Kenya’s floriculture sector is grappling with a fresh wave of production challenges as shortages of key fertiliser inputs and escalating freight costs place additional pressure on growers already navigating a difficult export environment.
Industry players say the unavailability of magnesium sulphate in recent weeks has disrupted crop nutrition programmes at a critical production stage, forcing growers to seek alternative nutrient sources to sustain flower quality and productivity.
Magnesium sulphate is a crucial input in rose production, supporting the crop for healthy plant growth and stem development. Its absence has left many farms adjusting fertiliser schedules, often at a higher cost and with uncertain outcomes.
Compounding the challenge is the sharp rise in calcium nitrate prices, which growers report have nearly doubled in recent weeks. Calcium nitrate is widely used across flower farms to strengthen the plant cell and improve stem firmness and support overall crop resilience.
The combination of scarcity and higher prices has forced producers to rethink their fertilisation strategies.
Some growers are increasingly turning to liquid nitrogen foliar applications as a temporary substitute. However, agronomists remain cautious about over-reliance on the option, warning that excessive foliar nitrogen can make crops more vulnerable to fungal diseases, particularly under humid greenhouse conditions.
“Liquid nitrogen foliars can offer short-term relief, but they must be applied carefully,” noted one industry agronomist. “If not properly managed, they can create soft tissue growth that becomes highly susceptible to fungal infections such as botrytis and powdery mildew.”
To bridge the nutrient gap, growers are also exploring calcium-based foliar sprays and alternative foliar products capable of supplementing magnesium requirements. While these solutions may help stabilise crop performance in the short term, they are often more expensive and may not fully replace traditional soil-applied nutrition programmes.
The input challenges come at a time when freight costs have also risen significantly in recent weeks, further squeezing already thin margins.
As growers adapt through nutritional adjustments and tighter resource management, industry stakeholders are calling for more stable supply channels and cost predictability to safeguard Kenya’s position as one of the world’s leading flower exporters.
For now, resilience and agronomic precision remain the sector’s strongest tools in weathering the latest storm.