Kenya's flower exports are projected to decline to 130,000 tons in 2020 compared to an average of 160,000 tons for the past two years due to the effects of COVID-19, the industry said on Tuesday. Clement Tulezi, CEO of Kenya Flower Council, told Xinhua on the phone that the country is only able to airlift about 3,600 tons per week to overseas markets compared to some 4,000 tons before the outbreak of COVID-19.
"Our key constraint is cargo space as airfreight companies are doing better business transporting COVID-19 related supplies as compared to shipping flowers," Tulezi said. He revealed that the cost of airfreight has almost doubled due to high demand but Kenyan producers are not able to pass costs to overseas buyers because of the long-term contracts already signed. "International demand for flowers in key markets has already resumed but some of our products can't reach the market," he added. "The industry is expected to fully recover in mid-2021," Tulezi added. According to the industry lobby, Kenya cultivates about 3,800 hectares of flowers, with 99 percent sold outside the country. KFC said that European Union absorbs about 72 percent of Kenyan flowers. Britain accounts for about 17 percent with the rest going to countries including Australia, the United States, and China.