The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) conducted a survey on March 15-17, 2021 to assess the extent of recovery in the flower sector, particularly after the resurgence of the third wave of COVID-19 globally and discovery of new variants of the virus in some countries. The survey was a follow-up to the January survey, that covered the impact of the second wave of the pandemic and continued reopening of economies.
The Key takeaways from the Flower Farms Survey in March 2021 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;
- Employment in flower farms has recovered and exceeded the pre-COVID-19 levels. It averaged 120 percent in March 2021 up from 113 percent and 97 percent in January and November, respectively, relative to the February 2020 levels;
- Production and export levels of flowers have improved to an average of 93 percent and 97 percent, respectively, of pre-COVID-19 levels (February 2020); and
- Export orders for flowers remain strong despite the uncertainty surrounding the third wave of COVID-19 infections and discovery of variants of the virus. Average orders are about 97 percent of the normal (pre-COVID-19) levels in the next four months (April to July 2021). However, some farms were concerned about possible cancellation of orders in case of stringent lockdowns due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the full report here…