Kenya has lost 25 per cent of its horticulture market in the European Union following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine early in the year.
This rise in the cost of living caused by the war has affected consumers’ purchasing power, leading to a drop in demand for cut flowers and vegetables in the EU market.
“The sector was on its recovery from Covid-19 when the Russia invasion came up leading to a loss of between 20-25 per cent of our market share in the EU,” Chairman Richard Mcgonnell said at the end of a two-day Naivasha Horticultural Fair.
Further, Mcgonnell expressed concerns over the high prices of electricity compared to the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
“We are deeply concerned by the overheads in this sector which are pushing growers to closure, meaning job and tax losses for the country,” Richard Mcgonnell.
He further challenged the government to assist small-scale farmers on the issue of soil testing, which remained a major challenge, thus affecting production.
Read also; Flower Sector Rebounds after Coronavirus Pandemic.
