This archive report was first published on 18 November 2021.
Kenya's flower industry is facing a crisis due to a shortage of airfreight capacity, with farmers forced to dump a quarter of their produce.
The shortage has been caused by a combination of factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions imposed on rival carriers to protect Kenya Airways.
According to the Kenya Flower Council, the industry needs a freight capacity of at least 5,000 tonnes a week, but currently only has 3,500 tonnes available.
"On average, our members are dumping flowers equivalent to 25 percent of their produce because of the limited cargo capacity," said Clement Tulezi, chief executive of the Kenya Flower Council.
"It's unfortunate that this is happening when we have increased orders from our major markets in Europe and elsewhere," he added.
Europe accounts for nearly 70 percent of Kenya's cut flower exports, and the limited cargo capacity and high freight costs are making it difficult for Kenya to serve this market, threatening thousands of jobs.
Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said that Kenya Airways has committed to increasing capacity, and the government will approve any other carrier apart from Ethiopian Airlines to increase frequency from Nairobi to Europe.
However, the flower exporters are concerned that the inadequate airfreight capacity in the middle of high season is hurting orders, and are calling for the government to allow other airlines to increase their capacity.
