Kenya’s flower exporters were warned that weak screening could put the country at risk of being blacklisted from the European Union market. The concern centred on armyworms and their eggs, which can be carried on roses and other produce if checks are not thorough.
Kenya Flower Council chief executive Clement Tulezi called on the relevant authorities to strengthen inspection before flowers leave the country. He said the danger was not only the pest itself, but the possibility of contaminated shipments reaching a market that is already under armyworm quarantine.
The flower sector remains one of Kenya’s biggest foreign exchange earners, bringing in more than 80 billion shillings a year. Roses account for about 85 percent of total flower exports, making the crop especially exposed to any disruption in access to the European Union.
The warning came as the invasion of armyworms continued to threaten shipments to Europe. Tulezi said the insects lay eggs on rose flowers, which means poor screening at the export stage could allow infested produce to be shipped out.
A flower logistics forum also heard that direct flights between Nairobi and New York, together with new routes linking Kenya to other parts of the world, have opened additional markets for local growers. At the same time, the Netherlands, one of Kenya’s key flower markets, offered to train exporters on better packaging to raise the value of their produce internationally.
Exporters were urged to familiarise themselves with international flower standards so they can produce quality flowers that can compete in the global market.
