Kenya is planning on opening a cut flower distribution centre in China in a new policy aimed at creating a direct sales link and growing its export volumes in the Asian market.
The distribution centre will be based in the province of Hunan in Southern China and will be managed in partnership with a Chinese firm called Funfree International Trade Company.
Peter Munya, Industry and Trade CS, has said that the Export Promotion Council (EPC) and the Kenya Flower Council, the umbrella body for large-scale flower producers, will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese next week.
When the proposed distribution centre is up and running, producers of cut flowers in Kenya will be able to airlift their flowers directly into Hunan as opposed to how Kenyan flowers largely access Chinese markets through an auction in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
The deal is expected to be signed during the two-day First China Africa Economic and Trade Forum taking place as at 27th June at Changsha City in Hunan Province.
“This will be a game changer as Hunan wants to be a global trading centre for flowers,” CS Munya said.
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Chinese Southern Airlines is also launching direct flights between Nairobi and Changsha, targeting Kenyan exports into the Chinese market during the China Africa Economic and Trade Forum.
Flower produce is among various products of the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Protocol that Kenya and China signed in November 2018 to open up Kenya’s produce to the Chinese market.
Other produce that was covered under SPS Protocol includes French beans, vegetables, avocados, French beans, legumes, herbs, mangoes, peanuts, and macadamia.
In a bid to achieving her target of growing exports by an average 25 percent every quarter under Integrated National Exports Development and Promotion Strategy, Kenya has made accessing the populous Chinese market a priority.
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