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Saturday 11 February 2012

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Flowers

 

Flowers are a natural expression of elegance and beauty, apart from performing functions that are vital to the planetary biosphere. To human society, flowers have since time immemorial signified intense feelings of romance, love and decorative importance. They are also used for the production or manufacture of different kinds of perfumes and aromatic fragrances.

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Kenya Flower Council

Well Organized Global Marketing

Kenya is a country of great natural beauty and one of the leading flower and ornamental plant producers in the world and certainly the top on the African continent. This East African country produces a wide variety of flowers and ornamental plants for markets in Europe, Asia and America. In 2008, Kenya’s floriculture produce was worth more than US$870 million (KSh64 billion) in foreign exchange.

 

Even with the global economic recession which started in late 2008, Kenya’s cut flowers and ornamental plants are still prized around the world, especially in Europe and North America. Other markets for Kenyan flowers and other horticultural produce are in the Middle East and the vast Asian continent.

 

 

The Kenya Flower Council (KFC) is a voluntary private association of the floriculture industry in Kenya. Formed in 1996 to represent independent Kenyan cut flower and ornamental plant growers and exporters, as well as to foster responsible and safe production of cut flowers and ornamental plants, the KFC also seeks to provide a common platform for growers and exporters to ensure the implementation of strict local and international standards.

 

Currently one of the richest, most influential and best organized industry organizations in Kenya, KFC is involved a variety of issues of concern to the stakeholders in industry lobbying, worker safety, environmental protection, industrial regulation, industrial development and floriculture company accreditation, as well as more weighty issues of global carbon dioxide emissions and international industrial diplomacy.

Representing around 60% of Kenya’s exports

With its headquarters in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, the Kenya Flower Council currently counts a regular membership of more than 60 flower growing and exporting member companies and organizations owning 70 farms around the country, and representing around 60% of Kenya’s exports of cut flowers and ornamental plants. There are also 25 associate members from different countries of the European Union, which is by far the largest and most important market. The associate members are involved in the Kenyan floriculture industry through carrying out importation, provision of farm inputs and other related services.

 

The KFC very is active in promoting Kenyan flowers to European supermarkets, florists, and at trade shows in the United Kingdom, Holland, Germany and other European Union countries. The floriculture industry body has embarked on a well-organized global marketing for Kenyan flowers and ornamental plants. Globally, the board subscribes to the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) guideline system of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and to EurepGAP.

 

 

Domestically, the Kenya Flower Council is affiliated with the Kenya Horticulture Council, the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK) and with the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). It publishes a detailed Code of Practice and employs a rating system for its member companies, involving Gold Standard ranking, Silver Standard ranking and Associate rankings.

 

Efforts are currently underway to harmonize the activities of KFC with those of FPEAK under the umbrella of the Kenya horticultural Council (KHC), which was established in 2007 with the main objective of enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of resource utilization and service delivery within the horticulture industry in Kenya.

 

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