Kenya Flower Council rules out flower auction plan

Flowers

Kenyan flower farmers and exporters may have to wait a little longer to have their own auction, officials say.

Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Chief Executive Clement Tulezi said setting up a local flower auction fashioned along that of tea was likely to be a complicated, costly and protracted affair.

This is despite Kenya contributing more than a third of the world’s flower trade and being the leading grower and exporter of cut flowers in Africa.

“A flower auction is a complicated arrangement to undertake locally. If you look at the major flower auction in the Netherlands, this is something that has been there for over 100 years,” said Mr Tulezi. He spoke in Nairobi on Wednesday at the opening of the 7th edition of the International Flower Trade Expo.

Mr Tulezi said the logistics involved in setting up such an auction are complex and may be out of reach for Kenya at the moment. Players in the sector have called for the establishment of a local auction.  

Bobby Kamani, the chief executive of Primarosa Flowers, a top cut flower producer based in Nyahururu, recently said an auction would make the industry more attractive since players would be able to source direct clients.

However, Mr Tulezi explained that the costs involved in setting up the physical infrastructure compared to the current output may make it impractical.