KQ shipping 30 tonnes of flowers to Australia monthly
A Kenya Airways plane at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. PHOTO | FILE
Kenya Airways (KQ) is exporting freshly cut flowers to Australia under a partnership with Qantas Airlines, creating a new avenue for farmers to market an estimated 30 tonnes a month to Sidney and Melbourne.
Cargo Sales Manager Patricia Odida said the new cargo service in partnership with the Australian carrier is using Johannesburg as a transit point.
The two are exploring use of Bangkok as the second gateway. Ms Odida said the partnership had created an efficient supply service helping create a new demand for Kenyan flowers in Australia.
Kenya Airways and partners also fly flowers to London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dubai, Johannesburg, Australia, China, Bangkok, Accra, Luanda, Lagos, Abidjan, Miami, JFK and Canada.
“This is a game changer for Kenya in terms of increasing trade exports of flowers to non-traditional markets. This partnership opens up the Australian market for exporters and is a business opportunity for us to generate revenue,” Ms Odida said Thursday.
Kenya is known for roses, carnations, hypericums, alstromeria, gypsophilla and lilies but new flower species supplied by small-scale farmers are gaining popularity around the world.
Kenya has 127 flower farms, half of them located around Lake Naivasha and Nyeri, Kiambu, Embu, Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Baringo, Trans Nzoia and Narok counties.
On Thursday, KQ said it was working with KFC to expand Kenya’s cut flower market in China. In Europe it has seamless working relationship with leading agents Airflo, Panalpina and Freight Wins.
Currently, KQ airlifts 864 tonnes of cut flowers to Netherlands annually.
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