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The government is actively promoting technology and innovation as key solutions for the country’s agricultural challenges, highlighting Kenya’s floriculture sector, particularly the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) initiatives and Ornamentals Sustainability Standard (KFOSS), for its leadership in climate-smart agriculture.
Kenya’s cut-flower industry continues to thrive, injecting a massive sh100 billion into the economy annually.
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This flourishing sector directly employs over 200,000 people and supports the livelihoods of more than a million Kenyans, solidifying the country’s position as a dominant force in the international floral market.
Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe affirmed that Kenya not only participates in the global flower business but leads it, calling the success a global story.
“The facts speak for themselves. We are the third-largest exporter of cut-flowers globally, exporting to over 60 countries,” CS Kagwe noted.
He added that the impact is especially felt in rural communities, where productive economic opportunities are scarce.
“This is not just success it is a revolution. A revolution fueled by the resilience of our growers, the innovativeness of our exporters, and the promise of what a mutually beneficial partnership between government and the private sector can achieve for a people and the country,” he stated.
The industry, through the Kenya Flower Council (KFC), has successfully united key players—breeders, growers, technology providers, cargo, transport and logistics firms, farm input providers, and financial service providers over the last three decades.
“It is an example worth replicating in our other value chains. However, this success cannot last forever. The world is changing rapidly. We can ill-afford to rest on our laurels. Competition is rising. Challenges are mounting. Our natural resources are dwindling,” he cautioned.
Kagwe emphasized that “Sustaining Kenya’s Floriculture Leadership in a Competitive Global Market” is a timely call to action, seeing these challenges not as insurmountable obstacles but as opportunities.
For these opportunities to be realized, he stated, they must possess the courage, belief, patience, and vision to transition to the next level.
“By thinking creatively, working collaboratively, and marketing smarter, we shall sustain our global leadership and competitiveness,” he said.
Kagwe highlighted that a primary determinant of success will be how effectively they tap into the agility, resourcefulness, and diversity of small-scale farmers.
“By creating the necessary conditions for them to plug into this value chain, they too will stand to benefit from the deep learnings and economies of scale that have proven to be such a success,” he explained.
This approach would not only diversify product and service offerings and ensure year-round production due to varied agro-climatic zones, but also lift more households out of poverty.
“It is the smart thing to do if we want to attain shared prosperity and sustainability. The national government is committed to working with other stakeholders, including this industry and cooperative societies, to enable farmers to organize in producer and marketing cooperatives and exploit these opportunities through the county aggregation and industrialization parks (CAIPs) and other targeted initiatives,” he emphasized.
He noted that the country’s targeted farm input subsidy program is growing, and this value chain, with its bankable and proven business model, should be included.
Furthermore, Kagwe identified a second critical success factor: how the country addresses the triple challenges of climate change, natural resource degradation, soil health deterioration, and the dearth of youth productively engaged in agriculture.
Initiatives include adopting water-saving technologies and precision irrigation, alongside efforts to reduce carbon footprints through a shift to sea freight.
There’s also a focus on using renewable energy like solar for greenhouses, ensuring fair labor practices, and maintaining full supply-chain transparency for integrity.
Technology is the deal maker. And deal-breaker. We must embrace it, or perish,” he declared. “The future of Kenyan agriculture is a tech-savvy, certified, knowledgeable, youthful Kenyan plying their trade and living profitably from their skills and the opportunities available.”
The Kenya School of Agriculture (KSA) has sent close to five hundred students to the UK for the summer seasonal workers’ placement (SWP) program, where they work and learn in UK farms for six months.
“While this is a good start, we need to make this sustainable and think long-term. These skills are needed here more than anywhere else,” he added.
The country is also modernizing the physical infrastructure of KSA’s 10 campuses, equipping them with modern technologies like drones, AI, IoT, and leveraging big data for critical decisions.
“We are conducting a training market-needs assessment to embed technology and market needs in the entire curricula. We are also benchmarking and twinning with other centers of excellence, offering short-term, certified, marketable courses that meet the felt-needs of a modern agricultural sector globally,” he stated.
This, coupled with the agripreneurship training and last-mile deployment model the ministry is collaborating on with county governments, is the only way to incentivize youth to enter agriculture and help them grow their agri-tech and business skills.
The ministry will also create sustainable employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, raising its capacity to innovate and tackle challenges.
“By using a mobile-first and last-mile presence, we shall be giving our farmers timely, correct, actionable information to enable them to make time-critical decisions,” he said.
Equipping farmers with the right tools will empower them to raise productivity per acre and improve produce quality.
Both national and county governments are complementing this by addressing market infrastructure, access, and information gaps, with the ultimate goal of higher incomes for farmers.
“This is a welcome respite for our farmers, who for far too long have grappled with numerous production and supply-side challenges occasioned by outdated agricultural production and production models that have led to declining yields and returns, and an undignified, poor farmer,” he said, adding that the fourth success factor is a predictable, fair, legal, institutional, policy, and regulatory environment.
Kagwe also noted that he is consulting with other Cabinet Secretaries to find lasting and holistic solutions.
“One of the key issues raised in the memorandum is the EU Regulation (2024/2004) compliance requirement for export of fresh-cut roses to prevent the introduction of the False Coddling Moth (FCM) in EU territories. This requirement came into force on April 26 this year,” he stated.
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To expand global market share, they are collaborating with specialist government agencies, such as the Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest) and KEPROBA, in exploring new markets beyond traditional destinations.
“I am happy to note that the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate (KEPHIS), the Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD) of the Agriculture And Food Authority (AFA), the Pesticide Control and Products Board (PCPB), and industry have developed, tested, validated, and deployed the FCM Systems Approach (FCMSA) to comply with this requirement,” he emphasized.
The FCMSA has also received approval from the EC Directorate General Food and Food Safety (DG-Sante), with the implementation of the FCMS Protocol.
