The next edition of IFTEX will include extra visitor promotion efforts on two new potential markets, i.e. China and the USA. These countries have recently opened up and although for different reasons, both are developing quickly to new huge export chances for Kenyan flowers.
It will be a new reality that Europe, where Kenya has traditionally been exporting to until now, may now experience competition from two countries with each the size of a continent. It may take a while before it will grow to its full size, but it is a matter of time.
Last month’s results of the China Flower Trade Fair in Guangzhou, organized by HPP, showed that Kenyan flowers were very well received. The displayed flowers of exhibiting Kenyan growers drew a lot of Chinese visitors to their stands, buyers that were visiting the fair from all over the country.
Also last week’s show in Las Vegas, a yearly held USA floral trade exhibition organized as well by HPP, resulted in a lot of interest in Kenyan flowers that were on display in the stands of exhibiting Kenyan flower growers. Not only the direct flights that are planned between Kenya and the USA as of this June, but also the quality and size of especially Kenya grown cut roses, will lead for sure to an increase in demand and consequently in exports to the USA.
For this reason management of IFTEX concluded that it was important to follow up on this strong interest for Kenyan flowers and decided to launch an intensive visitors promotion campaign in China and in the USA to attract flower buyers from these countries to attend the fair in Kenya this coming June. Furthermore HPP will also invite and sponsor some USA floriculture journalists to attend the coming IFTEX, all in order to give exports a boost to these 2 new giant potential export markets for Kenyan grown cut flowers.
