- Chairman Naivasha Horticultural Fair Richard McGonnell said the horticultural sector was committed to double sea freight shipments to European Union markets despite the challenges.
- He hailed the state for providing subsidised fertilizer to farmers which he said had seen food production go up by about 40 per cent.
Image: KNA
Stakeholders in the horticultural export sector have been advised to adhere to the new standards set for the European market to continue to export their products to the market.
Chairman Naivasha Horticultural Fair Richard McGonnell said the restrictive standards were recently set up by the European Union to ensure environmental safety in the face of the rising challenge of climate change.
McGonnell reiterated that the local growers have started adhering to strict markets demands especially in quality and chemical levels especially those destined for European markets.
He said recently some shipments were intercepted and returned to their source counties due to False Codling Moth diseases in the products.
He was speaking in Naivasha during this year’s edition of the Naivasha Horticulture Trade Fair.
McGonnell said the ongoing global conflicts, including the Israel-Gaza war and Russia-Ukraine, have affected the local horticultural sector in a big way, leading to high costs of production and products destined for European Markets.
"The ongoing global conflicts have hit the transport of horticultural produces by sea due to attacks along key routes especially along the Red sea as rebel groups increase attacks, forcing exporters to use alternative routes, leading to high freight costs of produces shipped abroad,"McGonnell said.
The chairman said earlier reports had indicated that freight charges have increased by more than 50 per cent since the start of the war while the shipping time almost tripled.
He said the horticultural sector was committed to double sea freight shipments to European Union markets despite the challenges.
Image: KNA
McGonnell said despite the recent drop in oil prices in the global markets, the sector is yet to get the much needed relief leading to high cost of production.
He said despite the cost of oil falling from USD98(Sh12,633) per barrel to USD 74(Sh9,539) per barrel, the local horticultural growers are yet to feel the impact of the global changes which has seen the cost of production to remain high.
He hailed the state for providing subsidised fertilizer to farmers which he said had seen food production go up by about 40 per cent and consumption has also gone up, thus impacting on food security and nutrition.
McGonnel said small holder farmers need soil testing in order to spur productivity.He urged the government to set up set up soil testing centres in various parts of the country for small scale farmers to help the farmers determine the kind of fertilizers to use and which crop to grow for maximum yields.
He said the farmers have used Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertilizer for long which has in turn affected the soils.
The government early this year announced that it will provide seven million bags of subsidised fertilizer to farmers, in all the 1,450 wards across the country for the 2024 long and short rains seasons.
The last two years have seen the government provide fertilizer subsidies to cushion farmers against the high cost of the commodity.
The subsidy programme was followed by a farmer registration exercise and the deployment of an accurate and transparent e-voucher system, for managing distribution.
Elgon Kenya Company director Vimal Kantaria said his company will continue to provide certified seeds and echo-friendly farm inputs and chemicals to the horticulture sector in line with the changing needs in the market and emerging issues of climate change.
The horticulture sub-sector which includes vegetables, flowers, fruits and medicinal aromatic plants is among the key sectors of agriculture in Kenya contributing to foreign exchange, household incomes and food and nutrition security.
It employs about 6.5 million Kenyans directly and indirectly.
Horticulture is the largest sub-sector of agriculture, contributing 33 per cent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Horticulture industry is made up of five commodities: vegetables (accounting for 44.6 per cent of the total value of produce); flowers (20.3 per cent), fruits (29.6 per cent), nuts and; medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPS) at 5.8 per cent).
The floriculture sector alone directly impacts the livelihoods of over two million Kenyans and has employed over 200,000 people directly.
Production is centred on the Great Rift Valley, in Lake Naivasha, Mount Kenya and Nairobi among other areas in the country.
The total area under horticulture is estimated at 496,062 Ha with production of 7.9 million Metric Tons. Roses account for the largest share of flowers export.
Horticulture export earnings increased by 6.5 percent in 2023, driven by increased volumes and a weak shilling.
Data from the Horticulture Crops Directorate (HCD) shows earnings grew to Sh156. 69 billion last year, marking a growth from Sh.147. 1bn in 2022.