The horticulture industry in Kenya is optimistic of quick recovery as global space slowly opens after the Covid-19 disruption.
Export earnings hit Ksh 72 billion between January and May 2020, up from Ksh 65 billion for the same period last year, translating to an 11 percent increase.
According to Okisegere Ojepat, Fresh Produce Consortium – Kenya CEO, the good earnings are largely attributed to the country’s ability to ship out produce during the pandemic, serving a rising demand for food.
“We were in the shelves when nobody else was, resulting in increased orders and attraction of new buyers,” Ojepat said.
He added, “I haven’t encountered a situation when all of us worked in a seamless coordination to ensure our produce got to the markets that have in turn rewarded the country.
Ojepat noted that the Kenya Airports Authority(KAA) was roped in to update the organizations on availability of the scarce cargo space and came in handy, offering its passenger planes to fly to Europe to deliver cargo despite not making profits.
“Kenya Airways did it for the country, understanding that after the pandemic we will need our markets. Market presence was more important than making money”, he added.
Ojepat has made a call to exporters and government to support the national carrier to thrive saying that if Kenya airways came through for them then the airline should be supported to get back into profitability.
Trade Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina when speaking at the Kenya Export Strategy 2020 Webinar organized by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency last week said the country expected the worst but earnings are up.
“Our export sector did Kenya proud, an indication of Kenya’s potential to protect its markets by ensuring products reached the markets in a challenging environment”, she said
The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency CEO Wilfred Marube said the sector brought out the best of the country’s resilience at beating the odds to keep the ‘produce of Kenya’ label in the global shelves, a sacrifice that has not only secured existing markets but also created new avenues for Kenya’s flowers, fruits, herbs and vegetables.It was a tough call for exporters especially in the flower sector who had to balance between maintaining a market presence, destroying beautiful flowers, sending workers home, keeping plants breathing and protecting their farms from the virus.To accord fresh produce clearance, farms and firms staff required access documents Dr. Marube added that the coordination of the movement […]