Kenya’s Flower Exports Surge in 2024.
NAIROBI, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s flower exports have reached 200,000 metric tons in the first eight months of 2024, according to a trade association report released on Tuesday.
Clement Tulezi, CEO of the Kenya Flower Council, stated that the country is set to exceed last year’s export levels. Kenya is expected to reach around 250,000 metric tons by the end of 2024, driven by strong demand from major export markets. For reference, Kenya exported 238,000 metric tons of flowers in 2023.
“Our flower sector performed exceptionally well during the Valentine period, which contributes about 40 percent to our annual sales,” Tulezi told Xinhua in Nairobi.
Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics show that the flower industry earned 107 billion shillings (approximately 829.6 million U.S. dollars) in export revenue last year. This makes flowers one of Kenya’s top foreign exchange earners, alongside diaspora remittances, tourism, tea, and coffee.
Tulezi also noted that around 70 percent of Kenya’s flower exports go to the European Union, with Japan, China, and Australia being other significant markets. The country is now aiming to boost revenues by focusing on exporting value-added flower products.