Flower farms now fully operational

After six months of anxiety, job losses and closure of international markets flower farmers are now fully back to operation.

Despite the challenge of high flight charges, production and exports of products have risen to over 95 per cent as the government gears up to reopening the economy.

The Dutch Auction which had collapsed at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic is fully operational while all workers who were on unpaid leave have resumed duty.

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The Central Organization of Trade Union (COTU) and Agricultural Employers Association (AEA) had entered into an agreement where all workers on unpaid leave would resume duty this month.

According to one of the leading flower farmers in Naivasha Jack Kneppers, they were currently exporting over 220,000 stems of roses from zero.

He said that all his workers had resumed duty with all their daily production getting exported to the Dutch market.

“The harsh times when we had to dump all our daily production is long gone and we are now back to business,” he said.

Kneppers was, however, quick to note that high flight charges was still a challenge but was optimistic that this would change as more airlines returned to operation.

“Though the government is still lagging behind in VAT returns, we are happy that we got part of the funds which has helped the business that was adversely affected by the pandemic,” he said.

According to the Kenya Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU), all workers in Naivasha which is home to tens of flower farms had resumed duty.

KPAWU secretary-general in Naivasha Ferdinand Juma said that they had been in discussions with the farmers to make sure that all the workers on unpaid leave were back to work.

“Around 98 per cent of the workers in the flower farms have resumed duty and we are in discussions with one of the farms to allow the remaining 300 return,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Chief Executive Officer Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Clement Tulezi said that the sector was on the recovery trail with the EU market opening up following the recent lockdown.   

“We are projecting that we shall fully recover by June 2021 and already farmers have recalled their entire workforce following the troubled period,” he said.

On flights, he said that farmers were currently paying double compared to the period before the pandemic hit the world.

He said that the government was yet to release the Sh1.5B stimulus funds towards cushioning flower farmers from the effects of the pandemic.

“We wanted the funds to be used to cushion farmers from the high cost of flight charges but the government is non-committal to this,” he said.

Tulezi added that the pandemic was an eye-opener to the sector adding that some farms would be forced to merge and others close down.

“Covid-19 has exposed our vulnerability and we shall have to address and reduce the cost of production so as to survive,” he said.