African Producers in the Cut Flower and Foliage Trade

African Producers in the Cut Flower and Foliage Trade

African Producers in the Cut Flower and Foliage Trade

MKT6230.E1 International Marketing

Herby Joseph

MKT6230.E1 International Marketing

Herby Joseph

2015

2015

1.) One of the challenges for African Flower and foliage producers is the need to ensure that the products reach the final consumers in good quality. Must they then produce and market their own products that more tolerant to the stresses of long shipping or continue to produce traditional European flowers which are difficult and expensive to transport?

“In 2009 the exported value of fresh cut flowers amounted to $6,466,810 billion according to the International Trade Center. Two of largest exporters are countries in Africa. The main product traded was roses.” (Czinkota, M., & Ronkainen, I. ,2013) “Anthurium and heliconias are, however, gaining importance as tropical flowers from Africa” (Czinkota, M., & Ronkainen, I. ,2013). “In the week running up to Valentine’s Day 2015, an estimated 200m red roses and tulips, 100m assorted other varieties and 20m pot plants were exported by truck and air from Amsterdam. Many of those flowers had just arrived from Nairobi, which dispatched 45 aircraft freighters to the Dutch capital that week alone“(Kariuki, J.,2011). The main market for cut flowers and foliage from Africa is the European Union. The reasons being are proximity to the market, lower cost of transportation, and longer shelf life of these delicate products. The costly transportation costs of exporting the high quality and dilute foliage to Europe proves to be one the biggest challenges to face Africa’s floriculture.

The answer to meet the searing costs of transportation is the production of more resilient products that meet the expectations of traditional European flowers that among the most popular. “Demand for different foliage varieties (particularly small-leafed foliage to make cheap bouquets) is becoming a trend for...