Water cigar flowers, papyrus and other export market tricks

After 12 years of working on a flower farm, Joseph Obango decided to set up his own farm. He did not go the roses route, the common cut flower exported to Europe. He grew papyrus and water cigars. Now the exporter who runs Broban Export and Import Agencies says the rare flowers are fetching good returns.

“Most people use them for decoration. In a week, I export about 20,000 stems of water cigars,” he said during the Kenya Flower Industry Expo at the Oshwal Centre in Nairobi a fortnight ago.