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Kenya: Horticulture Shrugs Off COVID-19 to Earn Kenya Sh72 Billion in Five Months

Published

5 years ago

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Earnings from horticulture exports grew by Sh7 billion in the first five months of the year.

This was helped by high demand for vegetables and fruits, defying the Covid-19 scourge that disrupted the global market, where Kenya sells the bulk of its produce.

Data from the Directorate of Horticulture indicates the earnings rose to Sh72 billion between January and May this year, from Sh65 billion the same period in 2019, an 11 per cent rise.

Fruits registered higher growth compared to vegetables and flowers, lifted mainly by high appetite for and volumes of avocado.

The latest industry statistics indicate that fruits recorded a growth of Sh5 billion to hit Sh11 billion in the review period from Sh6 billion in corresponding period, while vegetables recorded a Sh400 million jump from Sh10.1 billion last year to Sh10.5 billion this year.

FLOWER EARNINGS

Flower earnings were up by Sh2.1 billion to hit Sh51.1 billion, a 4.2 per cent rise.

“We have been supplying to a few countries at a relatively higher price, which lifted the earnings in the past five months as compared with the previous period,” said Benjamin Tito, head of the directorate.

At Sh11 billion in five months to May, earnings from fruits are just Sh2 billion short of surpassing what was recorded in a full year in 2019.

The increase in value defied restrictions imposed as a result of Covid-19, which saw many countries, especially in Europe, which is the country’s main market, impose lockdown, leading to the cancellation of most of the orders.