Kenya's horticulture exports grew 20 percent to Sh87.3 billion in the first half of the year, on the back of higher quantities of fresh cut flowers, fruits and vegetables sold abroad.
Analysis of the data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) shows that horticultural exports in the review period grew 19.04 percent from Sh73.3 billion in a similar period last year.
Monthly quantities of fresh horticultural exports grew to 252,083 tonnes in the first half of the year from 210,053.20 tonnes in a similar period last year.
Cut flower exports from Kenyan farms grew to Sh47.1 billion in the period under review from Sh39.4 billion in the previous year. Quantities of cut flowers sold abroad rose to 66,688.3 tonnes in the six months to June 2025 from 52,524.1 tonnes a year earlier.
Most of Kenya's flowers are sold to the Netherlands (about 70 percent), followed by the United Kingdom. Other significant markets are Germany, Italy and France.
The quantity of fruits exported rose to 147,860.9 tonnes in the six months under review from 123,369 tonnes sold in the previous year.
This growth saw the value of fruits exported from Kenya increasing to Sh29.3 billion from Sh22.1 billion.
Fruit production is seasonal, with KNBS data showing that output peaks between March and April.
The volume of vegetable exports grew marginally to 37,534.3 tonnes from 34,160.1 tonnes in the period under review however, the value of the exports fell slightly to Sh10.9 billion from Sh11.8 billion.
Kenya's horticultural industry generates thousands of employment opportunities in the agriculture sector and is one of the country's top exporters and foreign exchange earners.
Local producers have benefitted from a stronger euro and improved logistics as they supply into the European market.
“This year we have observed a stable currency and more reliable shipping into our main European export markets,” agricultural firm Kakuzi said in its interim financial statements for the half year to June 2025.
Shipping of goods through the Red Sea was disrupted last year and early this year due to the Middle East conflict but the situation has improved significantly in recent months.
The euro gained to highs of Sh151.4 at the end of June 2025 compared to Sh134.4 at the beginning of the year, having depreciated dramatically from highs of Sh176 at the start of 2024. A stronger euro results in higher earnings for Kenyan exporters in shilling terms.
Besides Europe, Kenya’s horticultural products are sold in other markets including China, Peru and South Africa.
