The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) conducted a Survey on November 10 and 12, 2020 to assess the extent of recovery in the flower sector, particularly with the reopening of the economy and continued implementation of the Government measures to mitigate the adverse impact of COVID-19.
The Key takeaways from the Survey of flower farms in November 2020 included:
- All responding flower farms indicated that they have been operating since August, compared to only 56 percent in April and May when the farms closed or scaled back on operations due to reduced demand from export markets and constrained cargo space options.
- Employment in flower farms continues to recover to pre-COVID levels. It averaged 87 percent and 82 percent in November and September, respectively, from 69 percent in April, relative to the February 2020 levels.
- Production and export levels of flowers have improved to an average of 88 percent and 83 percent, respectively, of pre-COVID-19 levels (February 2020).
- Export orders for flowers are strong despite the uncertainty on the second wave of COVID-19. Average orders were over 80 percent of the normal (pre-COVID-19) levels in the next four months (December 2020 to March 2021). Some farms are concerned about possible cancellation of orders in case of stringent lockdowns due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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