News » 07.07.2025 - The African floriculture transformation “You name it, Kenya is growing it”
In East Africa, roses, once the unrivaled monarch of the region's floriculture industry, are now sharing the spotlight with a diverse array of blooms: Lisianthus, spray roses, carnations gypsophila, chrysanthemums, and many more.
Photo right: Senthil Kumaran Thangavelu
This shift is not just about flowers; it's about innovation, resilience, and a market in flux. Senthil Kumaran, an experienced grower and African representative for Asthor Agricola.SA (a company specializing in the design and manufacture of greenhouse solutions and turnkey projects in 73 countries ) shares on this revolution:
"I am actually a rose grower," he begins with a smile, "but I moved on."
He's not alone. Many growers across the continent are reevaluating their reliance on roses and diversifying into more challenging, yet promising, varieties. Lisianthus, for instance, was Senthil's "second big crop." Despite its potential, only a handful of African growers tried to cultivate it but could not succeed, largely due to its complexity and the Dutch expertise over its growing technologies and markets.
Kenya and Ethiopia: The twin giants of roses
Kenya and Ethiopia continue to dominate the global cut flower trade. "Only four countries control the global rose industry - Kenya and Ethiopia lead Africa's contribution," he explains. "South Africa and Uganda tried, but with limited success."
In Kenya, floriculture is mature and efficient, thanks to its ideal climate, skilled workforce, and logistical infrastructure. Ethiopia has succeeded in catching up with a similar position to Kenya, though it entered the business more than one and a half decades later.
"You cannot find Kenya's or Ethiopia's climate or logistics anywhere else in Africa. It's impossible," Kumaran emphasizes. "Even South Africa imports roses from Kenya."
Ethiopia followed suit a decade later, but grew rapidly due to favorable policies and infrastructure. Senthil started his consultancy company there, guiding both local and international firms. "I live in Ethiopia, but I work across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda through Asthor," he notes.
The rise and fall: Uganda and Tanzania
Uganda, once started as a promising player during mid of 1990's, most of the projects got closed down, due to improper selection of suitable rose varieties and financial mismanagement. "Almost all rose farms got closed and converted to ornamental cuttings. Maybe very few rose farms survived with original owners," he recalls. "But Uganda has now found success in chrysanthemum and other cuttings."
Similarly, Tanzania shifted away from roses, opting for cuttings and seeds instead. "They don't do flowers anymore, the majority of rose farms shifted to cuttings/seeds (maybe one or two different flower farmers – but not with roses), " he says.
Innovations: Beyond the rose
While roses remain the backbone, African growers are innovating to remain competitive. "Roses used to be just standard, intermediates, and tea hybrids. Now it's spray roses, garden roses, scented varieties. These are in high demand," he elaborates.
And it's not just about new varieties, it's about upgraded systems. "There's no more expansion in roses, but massive upgrades are happening - better greenhouses, post-harvest systems, specialized markets, even packaging," he adds.
Kenya, in particular, is shifting towards mixed bouquets. "You name a flower, and it's now available in Kenya. It's no longer a single-product country."
Challenges: Rising costs and global events
Despite growth, challenges persist. "Labor and electricity in Kenya are expensive. Input costs are going up. Recently, farms faced an FCM (False Codling Moth) outbreak, and some farms were suspended from exports, though they restarted with strict vigilance," he says. Now, growers are trying to adapt to handle the FCM outbreak.
Then there was the global cargo crisis. "Last December, a sudden rise in the requirement for air freight in Asia was attributed to Western trade imbalances. Kenyan flowers could not get exported, and good sizable volumes of them were destroyed," he recalls with visible frustration. "Now freighters are back, and things are stabilizing."
Target markets: Europe and beyond
The primary market for African flowers remains Europe, driven largely by the Dutch auction system. "The markets were focused on the Dutch-based for the rest of Europe, and they continue to lead. With our consultancy firm, we derived new Far East Asian markets like Japan / Korea, and we succeeded in getting good market segments along with Dutch / Japanese colleagues. We did very well there," Senthil shares.
Vietnam, meanwhile, is rising as a serious player for far east asian markets. "They're exporting by ship, which is cheaper than air cargo. This is a big shift."
In Africa, too, sea freight has started in Kenya a few years ago, and Ethiopia is also catching up."
Cuttings and crop transitions
While flower farming remains strong, many African countries are also becoming centers for plant propagation. "All the Dutch cutting companies are here in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. All the mother stock is in Africa now," he says.
Interestingly, the floriculture boom has influenced other agricultural sectors. "Flower growers are now moving to avocados, especially in Uganda and Kenya. Avocados are becoming a new green gold," he adds.
No growth without diversification
Senthil's vision for the future is pragmatic. "We've almost reached saturation in roses. The next phase is diversification, innovation, and specialization. We must keep innovating with new crops, new varieties, new markets, and better systems."
With an existing consultancy company in Africa for the last two decades, and recently started in India, it offers good solutions for high-tech horticultural projects. The expertise gained through the last three decades of the African horticultural industry gives an edge for the consultancy firm on project design, supply, and implementation with appropriate market linkage.
"Along with Asthor Agricola, we have gained very good global expertise on turnkey high-tech greenhouse projects for different horticultural crops."
While he remains a rose grower at heart, he is also a strategist, constantly reading the global currents and helping others to adapt. "There are many exciting projects I'm working on, but I need my clients' permission before I can share. Still, I can say this: Africa's flower story is just beginning."
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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