NAIROBI, Sept. 10– Kenya’s flower exports reached 200,000 metric tons in the first eight months of 2024, a trade association said Tuesday. Clement Tulezi, chief executive officer of the Kenya Flower Council, said the country is on track to surpass last year’s export volumes and record about 250,000 metric tons by the end of the year due to high demand from key export markets. Kenya exported 238,000 metric tons of flowers in 2023, according to the official. “Our flower sector recorded excellent performance for the Valentine period which accounts for about 40 percent of total yearly sales,” Tulezi told Xinhua in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Data from Kenya National Bureau of Statistics indicate that the country earned 107 billion shillings (about 829.6 million U.S. dollars) in export revenue last year from the flower industry, making the sector one of the leading sources of foreign exchange earnings alongside diaspora remittances, tourism, tea, and coffee. Tulezi revealed that about 70 percent of Kenya’s flower exports are absorbed by the European Union, while other major markets include Japan, China, and Australia. He added that Kenya is focusing on exporting value-added flower products to generate more revenues from the sector.
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