Envious eyes are trained on Kenya’s Lake Naivasha region these days, with investors from as far afield as Colombia, the Netherlands and India interested in opening up operations in the fertile flower-growing region.

As production cost pressure bites, so Kenya, with its favourable climate and relatively low labour costs, is strengthening its position in the global flower trade.

At the International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF) in the Netherlands last week, Kenyan growers were out in force and keen to stress the country’s strong focus on environmental sustainability as well as the huge steps taken by most growers in terms of social responsibility and collaborative working. With a slew of negative headlines around Kenyan production resurfacing every Valentine’s Day, frustrated producers have been working harder than ever to accentuate the positive.

Currently there is a concerted push around the sustainable use of water, according to Sally Share, general manager of Tambuzi Ltd, a rose grower supplying a range of high-end customers including Waitrose and David Austin. Indeed the growers’ association at Mount Kenya is currently carrying out a survey to establish the “age” of the water used by farms in order to determine which supplies are sustainable and which are not. Growers are also signing up to the full range of internationally recognised audits, from BOPP and GlobalGAP to ETI and Fairtrade.

Clearly Kenya is well positioned to take advantage of the travails affecting growers in other areas. “A year or so ago people might have worried about the [global financial] crisis,” says Share. “Now, the Israeli flower industry is reducing, and young Dutch and Israelis are coming to Kenya to invest.”

Despite that Share warns that Kenya’s costs are rising, particularly with an increase in unionised staff and moves that will see pickers classified as flower workers and not plantation workers – meaning higher costs for those paying minimum wages.

One interesting development has been the increase in Kenyan growers farming at altitude – a decade ago nobody was growing flowers commercially along the slopes of Mount Kenya but now as much as 250ha is farmed – meaning an increase in larger-headed stems and extra competition for the Andean countries.

It all adds up to a pretty positive picture for the Kenyans, and it is little wonder others are considering investing in the African nation. Richard Vaughan, general manager of Bogotá-based supplier The Farm Direct Company, said Colombian producers now face real rivalry from Kenyans able to produce roses with larger heads and longer stems. “The market is becoming difficult,” he explained. “Prices have hit everyone hard and Kenya is coming on very strong and growing at high altitude now. We can’t compete with the Kenyans’ costs.”

Colombians are responding by introducing a raft of new long-stemmed varieties to differentiate themselves, Vaughan added. “Eventually some of the bigger Colombian flower farms will set up in Kenya,” he predicts.

“Mexico is also increasing production and they compete on the quality of the product. It’s changing the way we have to react. We must differentiate ourselves through product and good service.”—