This year’s Naivasha Horticultural Fair (NHFAIR) will be held in Naivasha in September 20th and 21st according to the organizer of the event, Mr. Richard McConnel. NHFAIR is poised to become one of the leading horticultural shows in years to come.
These predictions are premised on the fact that Kenya is one the leading supplier of horticultural products to Europe, amidst observations that production is shifting to Africa that has cheaper labour and naturally favourable growing weather conditions.
One of the most notable statements from every visitor who has attended the Fair is that we are on the right track.
“When you think flowers and horticulture by extension, the first question that comes to mind is; can you compete with Kenya?” every visitor to NHFAIR will ask, and their conclusion is; we cannot!
It also emerged that Kenya is increasingly becoming a choice supplier of flowers to some virgin markets, and that passionate growers were considering leasing farms for its citizens to invest in export flower growing due to high cost of production and a harsh climate in their countries.
The NHFAIR chairman, opines that the future of the global flower industry is Africa, led by Kenya. ‘It is becoming impossible to grow flowers in Europe, which is the world’s biggest flower market due to high cost of production. Labour and power costs are prohibitive, a development that has seen a major shift to Africa, especially Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.
Africa’s competitor in Flowers has been South America – Ecuador and Columbia- but both countries are witnessing reducing production as growers shift to more lucrative ventures such as real estate, leaving Africa as the front runner in the global supply of flowers.
What this means is that Africa needs to take advantage of the vacuum created by the exit of producers from other continents and collectively grow a floriculture industry that can be termed as the ‘oil of Africa’ since all indications are that the continent is poised to be the main source being the only region with conducive producing parameters.
The business of flowers is basically sentimental, and even within a shrinking global economy, consumers need the products to brighten up their lives, while in countries like Russia, all occasions that bring people together like birthdays, business meetings, weddings, and many more are never complete without a bouquet.
Another interesting development that points to this supremacy is the establishment of numerous technologies in climate change, water usage, shifting to solar energy, use of biologicals and many more. A number of multinationals are seeking to deepen high technology farming practices in Africa.
That they have chosen Kenya as the demonstration country for these technologies says volumes about the country’s leading role in flower production, a position that we, the stakeholders in this sector must guard by embracing best practices, to ensure that our flowers remain the brand at the auctions, supermarkets and other outlets.
These and many more technologies will be showcased during the fair. No one in the industry should miss this golden opportunity.