Etihad Cargo announced more freight capacity in Tanzania, Switzerland and the U.S. Etihad Cargo began a weekly freighter service to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. On the return flight to Abu Dhabi, the freighter will stop in Nairobi.

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s biggest city, is a major industrial and economic center in East Africa. The freighter service will operate every Monday to Julius Nyerere International Airport. Etihad Cargo will deploy one of its three Airbus A330-200 wide-body freighters on the route, offering uplift of up to 64 tonnes.

Initially, the airline expects the service to carry heavy electronics, medical equipment and food items to Dar es Salaam, with primarily perishable goods destined for the Gulf region and Europe loaded for the return flights. “Tanzania is a new market for Etihad Cargo, and our weekly Abu Dhabi-Dar es Salaam-Nairobi-Abu Dhabi routing will allow us to capitalize on the strong import and export demand to and from one of the fastest growing cities in Africa,” Kevin Knight, Etihad Airways’ chief strategy and planning officer, said. “This Dar es Salaam service will facilitate trade between the UAE and Tanzania, in addition to offering customers across the Middle East, subcontinent and Europe bidirectional maindeck cargo solutions to and from a major trading center on the African continent.”

Kenya’s agricultural sector is one of the six key economic pillars of Kenya’s Vision 2030. This was said by the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Mrs Sicily Kariuki during the opening of IFTEX 2014. She added that the sector is expected to drive the Kenyan economy to the projected 10 percent economic growth annually over the next two decades, through promotion of an innovative, commercially oriented and modern agriculture.

“The Kenyan Government appreciates the contribution of the flower industry in the country’s economy. In the year 2013, the Horticulture subsector earned the country Kshs. 83.3 billion in foreign exchange out of which Kshs. 56 billion was earned from floriculture while the rest was from fruit, vegetables and nuts”, she said.

In the last decade, Kenya has experienced growth in its share of the world Flower trade and competes with countries such as Ecuador, Colombia and Ethiopia in the world flower business. Currently, it is ranked the third exporter of flowers globally after Netherlands and Colombia. It is not gain saying that, Kenya is well endowed with favourable climatic conditions, cold chain facilities, local expertise, research and locally available labour.

The ongoing improvement of the infrastructure, for instance the roads, the strategic location of Eldoret airport, the ongoing expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International airport and Kisumu airports provide an opportunity for further growth and expansion of the floriculture industry.

The government recognizes the significant role played by the private sector in the growth of the horticulture subsector and in moving the industry to a new level of development. In that connection, the private sector is encouraged to work with government institutions in creating innovative solutions to problems in the sub-sector.

The government is pleased to note that private sector institutions especially the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) and the Fresh Produce Exporter’s Association (FPEAK) are members of the Kenya Horticulture Taskforce that has enabled the subsector to have a coordinated approach to issues affecting horticulture especially with regard to market requirements and compliance. In order to create an enabling environment for the growth and development of agriculture sector, the Government has put in place the National Horticulture Policy whose broad objective is to accelerate and sustain growth and development of the horticulture industry in order to enhance its contribution towards food security, poverty reduction as well as employment and wealth creation. In addition, the Government has also enacted Crops Act 2013, Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Authority Act (AFFA), 2013. The Government has also put in place an electronic certification system which is web based and has therefore, reduced the time taken for processing of export documents.

Kenya’s authentic goods and services have for decades been appreciated in the international circles. In view of this, Kenya has embarked on branding her export produce as a measure to reinforce their origin while assuring our customers on the authenticity of the produce. Therefore, the government commends the flower growers who have come together to enhance effective branding of Kenyan flowers abroad in order to tap more into the global market. In support of this, the Government has put in place the Brand Kenya Board to work closely with other stakeholders in the Industry.

Mr. Simon Van Der Burg, Owner Timaflor Ltd
Background
Managing your leadership career is much like managing your stock portfolio. You must continuously decide on how to make your personal brand more valuable by knowing what skill-sets, capabilities and aptitudes to invest in and which not to throughout the course of your career. The ebbs and flows of your leadership career require you to make important choices about how to give your personal brand value. This must have been the case with Simon Van De Burg when he started a 5ha flower farm as a hobby in 2006. Eight years down the line, the forty years experienced Kenyan grower has seen his brand turn into a tangible and measureable influence into the sector with the farm growing to a serious 86ha investment.

Choice of Market
Future-oriented buyers of roses always search for new opportunities for both their own and their customers’ market positions. The purpose is two sided, a satisfied consumer and a sustainable positive result at the end.

What’s needed to succeed?
A clear insight in a completesustainable positive result at the end. What’s needed to succeed? A clear insight in a complete assortment of cut fresh and high quality roses, the ability to shift as quickly as possible through direct contact with the market, perfectly organized logistics, daily quality control and further preparation as you and your customers prefer. Aalsmeer auction offers this all.

Read more: Timaflor Ltd

Two of the 18 Ugandan flower growers and exporters participated in the third International Floriculture Trade Expo (IFTEX) which was held at Oshwal Center, in Parklands, Nairobi. The farms are Rose Bud Limited and Mairye Estate.

Rosebud Limited, located off Entebbe Road, the largest exporter of Sweetheart cut roses from East Africa and largest exporter of roses from Uganda. The farm produces approximately 40% of total Ugandan flower exports. Mairye, which is located in Ntinda Village, Busukuma Subcounty, Wakiso District, produces about half that amount. Sivalingam Ravi Kumar, the Farm Manager, Rose Bud Limited says IFTEX’s growing popularity shows that there is a fundamental shift in the floriculture market towards Africa with Kenya as the hub, something he says Ugandan flower farmers can take advantage of.

Read more: Uganda Growers Invest in Marketing

Who is Nirzar Jundre?
(Backgroundpersonal and as a grower) I am a Kenyan of Indian Origin. Professionally I studied B.Sc. Agriculture and Masters in Personnel management, it was my Father who sent me to study horticulture after my 10th std., and otherwise I wanted to study Mechanical engineering, immediately I developed interest in horticulture. I was good in my studies, as well as sports and managed to be general champion in Athletics during my University days.

I started my career in 1993 after graduating where I worked in companies dealing with Tissue Culture technique for plant propagation. After three and a half years, I got a chance to work with a flower farm growing Roses, Gerbera & Carnation. Three and a half years later, I got a chance to come to Kenya that is, year 2000 with recommendation from my good friend and Guru in floriculture Mr. Avinash Mokate. I joined Liki River Farm as a Flower Manager, where I initiated the first commercial Rose cultivation for Vegpro group. In the beginning it was a challenge for me to train people who had been working with vegetable production to flower growing but with team work, we succeeded. It was really a good experience.

Read more: Nirzar Jundre

Kenya’s floriculture sub-sector is courting the United States, Russian, Korean and Japanese markets as it seeks to expand from traditional European Union (EU) market.

Delegates of leading international buyers, wholesalers and retailers from more than half a dozen countries outside the EU market attended the third edition of the International Flower Trade exhibition (IFTEX).

Middle East Market
The phenomenal growth of Black Tulip Group in flora trade is set to benefit Kenya more than any other country. Currently the group has boasts of Black Petals, Blue Sky ltd, Laurel Investments, Utee Estate, Golden Tulip farms Ltd and Tropiflora Ltd.

Read more: Flower Buyers Flock Nairobi.