Rose industry blooming in Kenya

•   Access to the plant varieties from around the World promotes agricultural trade

Esther Kimani, Managing Director, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)

Kenya is a leading exporter in cut flowers, especially roses because the breeders of roses feel confident to have their variety being exploited in Kenya and so we have very many companies that have set their businesses in Kenya.

Ivan Freeman, General Manager of Uhuru Flowers, Timau, Nanyuki

We are on the equator so there is no winter, we can produce 365 days of the year. The altitude for our particular segment of the market is very important, you get larger rose heads, better quality flowers because we are at 2400 meters above sea level.

Cut flower exports since Kenya became a member of UPOV in 1999:
1998: US$ 57 million
2013: US$546 million

Esther Kimani, Managing Director, Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS)

Because we are able to access any variety from any part of the world that means it encourages investments into agriculture.

The benefit of plant variety protection in Kenya is that it has really promoted agricultural trade and because of the fact that we acceded to UPOV, we are able to access varieties of any plant cultivar from any part of the world because the breeders are confident that they will get their rights protected and they can recoup back the investment into breeding.

•   Joining UPOV sends a clear message to breeders

Ivan Freeman, General Manager of Uhuru Flowers, Nanyuki

The floriculture sector in Kenya over the last 15 years has developed hugely and for example where we are now, when we started 10 years ago we couldn't see another greenhouse anywhere around us.

Now there's more than 200 hectares within our site, so it is a small example within Kenya of how it has grown.

We grow around 70 different varieties of roses and we sell those into 63 countries around the world.

Bruno Etavard, License Manager, Meilland International

As a breeder, you have to invest a lot of money to develop new varieties, you have to make the breeding, you have a long process of selection and as far as roses are concerned this process may last between five to seven years, then the first economical return will come after seven years.

You cannot do that activity without having the security for yourself to get a return.

Obviously at the same time this tool, the plant breeders’ rights system, promoted and developed by UPOV, is fundamental for the growers, propagators in a given country because it allows the peaceful exploitation of the varieties bred by the breeders.

•   The rose industry has helped improve rural livelihoods
Flower Farm Employees 90,000
Rose Industry Employees 500,000

Lucy Monior, Human Resources Manager,Uhuru Flowers, Nanyuki

I think one of the major things is that it has provided employment and people are able to take care of themselves, the employees while working here they are able to take their kids to school, they are able to help their parents.

It's quite a very good thing and in terms of employment, it is very safe and very clean.

•   The development of the rose industry has inspired future breeders

Tonny Chenge, Packhouse Manager, Uhuru Flowers, Nanyuki

My decision to be in this horticulture industry as I said that it is through my qualifications first, I went to school and I did a diploma in horticulture and out of that I'm also here because of passion.

I'm really praying that after some few years I can also venture into the business, I can also do breeding and I can also start selling to the growers, so I also see myself being one.

•   Technology Transfer is enabling Kenyans to play a bigger role in the development of the industry

George Mwangi, Propagation Manager, Suera Flowers Ltd, Nyahururu

Coming to the horticulture industry was not purely by choice, we would grow maize, vegetables and such, so I loved working in a farm setup, so I found myself in a rose farm.

When I joined the floriculture industry, most of the expertise that was available was from foreigners, people coming from the European nations and specifically from Holland.

But over a period of time, this knowledge has been transferred to indigenous Kenyans and we find ourselves in the positions that we are holding now by virtue of that transfer of knowledge. Now, very few farms are still relying on foreign expertise.

Most of the managers available now are indigenous Kenyans, these are well-educated people. Now local universities are offering training completely oriented towards floriculture and horticulture, there are horticultural courses that are being developed and we are getting a more enlightened workforce in the farms.

Previously, they would do breeding in Holland and only test the varieties here now in Kenya, but now we are getting varieties bred in Kenya and testing done in Kenya.

In the next ten years, we'll start getting or seeing a lot of roses grown in Kenya that are completely bred in Kenya.