Flower council presses responsible use of pesticides
A worker pushes rose-flowers on a hand-cart inside a greenhouse at the Oserian farm in Naivasha Photo/REUTERS
The Kenya Flower Council is pushing for responsible use of pesticides as it begins talks with buyers in the international market.
CEO Clement Tulezi said they were bringing growers and government agencies together to find a long-term solution.
He said growers must comply with the rules of the European market, saying Kenya had challenges in cut flowers and more recently beans and avocados.
"We have seen interception based on Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), defined as the maximum concentration of pesticides that are either not permitted in the markets or exceeds the set limits," Mr Tulezi explained.
He said sector players will hold a meeting to deliberate on issues related to peas, beans and avocados. This follows incidents where Kenyans products were removed from market shelfs based on MRLs.
He said the council was closely monitoring Kenya’s growers to ensure they adhere strictly to spelt-out regulations in the global market.
"Lucky enough, we have our foreign missions coming in. That is something that we have been missing for a long time and they are becoming our day-to-day connection between us and the international market," Mr Tulezi said.
But he said the industry will thrive, adding that Kenya is a leading player in the cut flower industry.
He added that the industry had recovered from the shock of the coronavirus pandemic, saying the current situation is “relatively stable”.
He, however, decried the high cost of farm inputs, citing fertiliser as a great challenge for small-scale growers.
On sea freight, he said at least 50 per cent of growers were using the sea to ship out their products.
He spoke during the launch of Dagonis 125 SC, a preventative and curative fungicide for controlling powdery mildew in roses.
Speaking at the same function, the BASF East African Managing Director Shollay Ramlaul said the new product will help address some of the challenges growers were dealing with.
She explained that it took the company more than 11 years to come up with the products, saying they are a boost for the horticulture industry.
