Kenya's horticulture sector planned to participate in the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE) to boost its revenue, the industry association said on Thursday.
Okisegere Ojepat, CEO of Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPCK), told Xinhua in Nairobi that the event will provide an opportunity for Kenyan exporters to meet potential Chinese buyers for horticultural products.
"We want to use our participation at the China International Import Expo to make a major entry in the lucrative Chinese market," Ojepat said.
He said the FPCK will be part of the Kenyan delegation at the expo.
He said currently the majority of fresh produce exports are sold in the European Union, United States and Middle East markets.
He added that about one percent of horticulture exports is sold to China and mostly through re-exports from other countries, stressing the sector will use the CIIE to boost direct sales into the vast Chinese market.
He observed that currently Kenya Airways and China Southern Airlines operate direct flights between Nairobi and Guangzhou.
"We want to leverage on this connectivity to boost sales of perishable goods into the Chinese market," the CEO said.
According to the FPCK, Kenya has a huge potential to increase exports given that 95 percent of fresh produce is consumed locally.
He said that in 2017, the east African nation exported some 159,000 tonnes of cut flowers.
The CEO added that the most common horticulture exports include cut-flowers, broccoli, spices and sugar snaps.
