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Horticulture Earnings To Drop By 20 Billion Shillings

BY Jane Muia · November 18, 2022 10:11 am

The Horticultural Crops Directorate Director Benjamin Tito has warned of a 17 percent reduction in horticulture earnings by December 2022.

Tito last week said projections indicate that the sector’s earnings will drop by over 20 billion shillings owing to the prevailing drought witnessed in various parts of the country.

‘’The industry recorded 157 billion shillings in 2021 after increasing from 150 billion shillings registered in 2020. However, by the end of 2022 earnings are expected to drop to 130 billion shillings as the climate change effects continue to affect the industry,’’ He said.

Tito said that farmers are struggling to get water for irrigation something that has triggered reduced volumes of fresh produce being shipped to various destinations mainly the European Union (EU) a trend that will affect the earnings.

‘’We have witnessed a reduction in volumes being shipped to various export destinations, especially the EU. This has happened as farms using irrigation systems are grappling with reduced volumes of water and thus are not able to expand farming areas,’’ he added.

This comes just a few weeks after fresh produce farmers expressed fears of losses following the Kenya Airways (KQ) pilots strike that saw tonnes of perishable produce stuck at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

The local horticulture producers said they lost fresh produce valued at over 500 million shillings which were supposed to be flown by the carrier to various destinations. The strike affected the entire horticulture value chain as farms were unable to harvest their products because they were unsure that they will be exported. Lack of harvest means that some products such as flowers and vegetables outgrew and hence unfit for sell out.

According to the agriculture cabinet secretary Mithika Linturi, 75 percent of the incurred losses comprised cut flowers while raw meat accounted for 25 percent loss.

The European Union accounts for the largest portion of Kenyan horticultural exports, taking in 45 percent of the exports majorly comprising cut flowers, French beans, snow peas, and Asian vegetables. The impact of the KQ strike on the local horticulture industry was huge as the majority of producers and traders rely on the national carrier to ship their fresh produce.

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