By Antony Gitonga
Today is âblack Mondayâ for tens of flower farmers in Naivasha who will begin destroying flowers worth millions of shillings, due to the current flight cancellations to Europe.
This came as report from the Kenya Flower Council indicated that the sector had lost Sh616 million ($8m) last week, with fears that the figures could rise further.
With the last shipment having been made on Wednesday last week, disillusioned farmers admitted that they faced closure if the current problem continued.
According to one of the leading farmer in Naivasha, Jack Kneppers from Maridadi Flower Farm, they were losing Sh1.5m every day.
A grader in Maridadi flower farm in Naivasha prepares roses in the farm. Due to flight cancellation in Europe, the sector has lost Sh616 million in the four days. Photo: Antony Gitonga
"Our cold stores are filled to capacity and we have no alternative but to start destroying some of the roses on Monday (today)," he said.
"We are producing between 160,000-180,000 stems of roses daily and we do not have space to store them as of now,"
The Dutch-owned farm has 85 hectares of roses and produces 65 million stems of roses annually, all of which are exported to Holland.
Kneppers said the cancellation could not have come at a worse time, as farms were gearing up for Mothers day in three weeks.
He, however, said he would not be laying off workers because production would go on despite the current crisis.
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