Kenya's Flower Industry Suffers $4.2M Loss

0:00Kenya's flower industry is taking a hard hit from the Middle East conflict. Growers report weekly losses up to $1.4 million, adding up to more than $4.2 million over the past three weeks. The main culprits are falling demand and major shipping snags. Earlier this week, the Kenya Flower Council highlighted delays in deliveries, longer shipping paths, and record high freight rates of $5.80 per kilo, the steepest in 10 years. This horticulture sector pumps $800 million into the economy each year, and supports half a million jobs. At farms like Eseania, 34 miles south of Nairobi, exports have plunged by more than half. Even though the Middle East isn't the biggest buyer, the unrest has thrown cargo routes to Europe into chaos, jacking up costs and slowing everything. Down, growers are now urging the government to launch direct flights to Europe to keep markets alive. Without quick fixes, they warn of widespread layoffs if tensions drag on much longer.

1:00That's the story for today, Canada News Today, driven by AI.