APRIL 1 (Xinhua) — African floriculture experts gathered in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Monday to discuss strategies for boosting the continent’s flower exports, enhancing market access, and improving supply chain efficiency.
The two-day Flower Logistics Africa 2025 brought together senior government officials, logistics providers, farm owners, exporters, and industry leaders from across the continent to explore ways to strengthen Africa’s position as a leading global supplier of flowers.
Clement Tulezi, chief executive officer of the Kenya Flower Council, said the biggest challenge facing the flower sector in Africa is the rising cost of airfreight as traditional air cargo capacity is shifting to more lucrative routes.
“The key flower markets for African flowers are in Europe and Asia, so they need to be transported via airfreight, which is expensive and subject to price fluctuations,” Tulezi said.
He noted that Kenya, which is Africa’s leading flower exporter, is seeking to increase revenue from the sector by diversifying into new markets such as China and Japan.
Jacob Bwana, general manager of marketing and business development at Kenya Airports Authority, urged African countries to increase investment in cold chain infrastructure to maintain the freshness and quality of flowers before they are exported.
Patricia Odida, chief commercial officer of Astral Aviation, revealed that direct flights and cargo routes will enable African flower exporters to compete with producers in Latin America.
