This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
Kenya's horticulture sector has defied the Covid-19 pandemic, recording a significant increase in earnings to Sh72 billion between January and May 2020.
According to data from the Directorate of Horticulture, the earnings rose by Sh7 billion compared to the same period in 2019, marking an 11 percent increase.
The growth was driven by high demand for vegetables and fruits, particularly avocados, which saw earnings from fruits nearly double to Sh11 billion in the review period.
Vegetables recorded a Sh400 million jump to Sh10.5 billion, while flower earnings were up by Sh2.1 billion to record Sh51.1 billion, a 4.2 percent rise.
Benjamin Tito, head of the directorate, attributed the increase in value to enhanced demand and good prices that Kenya's produce fetched in the world market.
Despite a decline in volumes, which dropped by 12 percent compared to the previous season, the sector's impressive performance was registered against a backdrop of high demand for fruits and vegetables in the European market due to dietary needs to boost body immunity in the wake of Covid-19.
