Main East African Cut Flower Value Chain Analysis

Kenya's floriculture industry wants the government to protect and help promote the industry and be proactively involved in maintaining existing markets as well push for diversification to other markets.Financial sector players say un-certainty in the European market and overdependence on rain fed production have raised the floriculture industry's risk profile, making it a hard-sell to lenders.They are also worried by the industry's unstable labour relations, seasonal demand for its products, and tropical pests and diseases that affect production. Although the sector is the leading foreign exchange earner, instability of the EU market is a key factor in deciding future business relations with the industry.For the Ethiopian case,an improvement in the developmental impacts of floriculture on Ethiopia depends on two key factors: the number of jobs and the endogenisation.The emergence of the flower industry in Ethiopia proves that development can occur in a developing country with sound policies, and a focus on trade strategy, rather than via aid.