Kenya’s horticulture export revenues fell by 3.5 percent in the first half of 2024, owing to lower shipments to European and Asian markets, according to fresh economic data issued by the national statistics bureau.
The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, that the East African country earned 86.8 billion shillings during this period, down from 697 million dollars in 2023.
According to the KNBS, Kenya exported 214,676 metric tonnes of cut flowers, fruits, and vegetables in the first half of 2024, down from 291,118 metric tonnes in the same period in 2023.
Cut flowers provided the largest earnings of any exported produce, totaling 403 million dollars, with Europe serving as the principal market, according to the KNBS.
Kenya generated 144 million dollars in revenue from fruit exports, with vegetables accounting for the remainder, according to the agency.
The fall in earnings in the first half of the year was largely due to a higher Kenyan shilling, which made exports more expensive and lowered demand.
The Kenyan shilling has been stable at 129 to the dollar since March, having risen from above 140 in January.
The Netherlands and Britain continue to be Kenya’s leading horticultural markets in Europe, while China, India, and Kazakhstan are the top markets in Asia.
Kenya is constantly exploring new markets for its agricultural products, particularly in Africa, where it is collaborating with Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda to establish the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and the East Africa Community Horticultural Accelerator initiative.
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