Kenya: Exporters prefer flowers over chilli

Goldensilver Exporters, a green chilli exporting company has reported in the last three months a decrease in its volumes from 10 to four tonnes a week due to the drought that affected the harvest season in December.

This has in turn led to air freight companies to prioritise other produce such as flowers, which are in high supply and demand, for export cargo space.

Usually, green chilli exporters book cargo space at the air forwarders a day in advance.

Air freight forward companies, on the other hand, based on the export trends witnessed in previous years, will submit their scheduled flights at the beginning of the year to the State aviation bodies.

At the moment, due to the market trends, flower exports are given priority in cargo space because they are in high supply. Vegetables such as green chillis are in low supply.

“The scheduling of flights is done at the beginning of the year, but when we have ad hoc flights (unscheduled extra flights), we inform these agencies so that they can plan for the landing and taking off slots as well as the manpower on the ground that will handle these extra flights,” said an industry insider.

Read more at Business Daily (Queen Munguti)