Horticultural News January - February issue

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Workers at Subati Flowers Ltd, pack their harvest. There are over 900 workers at the flower farm which is located in Nakuru. and the average bunch of flowers selling for around 500 rubles ($16). This is in partly due to the expensive transportation cost attached to each flower but also a result of high customs duties of around 10 rubles (30 cents) per flower. During the Women’s Day here, men lavish bouquets on their wives and colleagues and just about anyone else from the fairer sex they know. March 8, is the day florists reap enough profits to keep them going for the rest of the year. “This one day in March feeds a florist for a whole year,” florists in Moscow boast, with many reporting sales of about 20,000 blooms for the Mother’s Day week, ten times the usual amount. Others say that while on other days blemished blooms are discarded, on March 8, just everything will be sold, with an impressive 25 million flowers sold annually in Moscow alone, according to market reports. Valentine’s Day, the date which sends imports soaring in most other countries, is a relatively new phenomenon in russia, but one that is steadily growing in popularity. Despite this rosy picture, it is also reported that feminists have been heard to complain that men have turned the day into a celebration of sexism as russian men heap compliments and gifts on their female colleagues and “sputniks” (satellites) – the word for their other halves. Other flowery reports indicate that russian men are incurable romantics and “infidelity is big business.” Like any other industry, the flower market is subject to significant spikes and drops 20 in demand. The russian flower industry is characterized more by sudden demand hikes than most other countries because russia has so many national holidays at which it has become the custom to give flowers. The industry is not immune to global shocks and was not spared a large-scale slump in sales especially after the 2008 economic crisis, when lower imports to dropped by around half, amounting to some $500 million in 2009. although domestically produced blooms only constitute around 2-3 percent of russian cut flower sales, the high importation costs are causing many in the industry to look to the local market for future supplies. recently flower plantations have been appearing in the Moscow region, and around the towns of Kaluga, yaroslavl and Dmitrov but the climate poses a barrier to mass production. Some producers are moving to warmer places like Krasnodar region near the Black Sea and making use of technology, but this may not be sustainable in terms of cost leaving african producers as the best bet. Dutch company Meilland specializes in breeding new varieties of roses and has developed a frost-resistant variety to grow in russia and other cold climates. The breed is either sold under contract to russian industrial growers or as individual plants for landscape gardening projects. While the rose plant industry is relatively underdeveloped in russia, it has huge potential, because roses are the most popular cut flowers on the russian market, constituting some 80-90 percent of all sales. H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I j a n u a r y - F E B r u a r y 2 0 1 2 Subati Flowers rocking in Russia During the first international flower exhibition in russia in august last year, Subati was the only firm from this part of the world that carried home a gold trophy. “We entered the spray rose variety which in our experience is popular in this market because of it being a single stem with many heads”, said ravi Patel, the director. “The award is a loud statement that Kenya is a world winner when it comes to flowers”, he added with a boast that, “Kenyan roses are the best in the world mainly because of a suitable climate, and competence of growers to stay ahead in meeting market requirements. Subati, tucked in the heart of the rift Valley in nakuru has about 89 hectares out of which 27.5 is in production. at an altitude of 2200-2400 meters above sea level, the farm sits on a conductive environment for optimum rose production. “Here, temperatures are warm during the day and very cool at night, just what flowers require for long stem and large bud development while the clean air from the hills and surrounding mountains has created a microclimate that helps keep pests and diseases at bay, leading to production of the very best T-hybrids that Kenya produces” said Mr Patel. Subati Flowers Ltd was Incorporated in 2007 when the directors bought Subati Ltd and employs over 900 permanent and casual staff. The farm has been expanded from 12 Ha to 27.5 hectares in two years, and is poised for further growth. It is selling around 31 million stems annually to russia, Europe and japan.
For over 30 years farmers have trusted Meltatox ® in controlling powdery mildew. It is an excellent product to use when powdery mildew arises as it cures it. Thus leaving the roses’ aesthetics preserved ensuring good market prices. BASF East Africa Ltd Tel: +254 204443457 email: patrick.ngugi@basf.com email: francis.karanja@basf.com papillongroup.co.za Preventative sprays are recommended in order to minimize disease risk, however a curative spray after max. 48 hours after infection is nothing Meltatox ® can’t handle. It has long lasting effects which ensures spotless flowers, while offering a short re-entry interval allowing workers to quickly get back into the greenhouses. Meltatox ® can be incorporated into an IPM programme as it is compatible with beneficial insects and predatory mites. Since the launch of Meltatox ® no resistances have been reported, making it your number 1 trusted brand. MELTATOX ® Cultivating prosperity. Dose Rate: 2.5 /1000-1500 water/ha H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I j a n u a r y - F E B r u a r y 2 0 1 2 21
Page 1 and 2: NO. 20 JAN/FEB 2012 Ksh 300, US$5 H
Page 3 and 4: H O R T I C U LT U R A L N E W S I
Page 5 and 6: seasonal credit for food security Y
Page 7 and 8: GODOWNS FOR SALE/TO LET SAKU BUSINE
Page 11 and 12: ONIONS Onions are important horticu
Page 13 and 14: Wins Second MDG Award Eradicating E
Page 15 and 16: An Amiran agronomist shares a light
Page 17 and 18: secondary schools in the water scar
Page 19: HIGH CONCENTRATION POTASSIUM SOLUTI
Page 23 and 24: Chrysal Africa now offers — Pre-t
Page 29 and 30: 40-50 % PA Fund job creation for on
Page 31 and 32: Sources of seed Farmers should use
Page 33 and 34: Anti-counterfeits committee chairma
Page 35 and 36: Harakisha....wapi page za AAK? you
Page 43 and 44: Jos Hansen (EA) Ltd, a pump supplie
Page 45 and 46: Belspray range Bellspray High N: NP
Page 47 and 48: Good neigbours traditional sugarcan
Page 51 and 52: Soil sampling using Trimble GPS now
Page 53 and 54: HORTICULTURAL CROPS DEVELOPMENT AUT
Page 55 and 56: HORTICULTURAL CROPS DEVELOPMENT AUT
Page 57 and 58: Between June and November 2
Page 59 and 60: Market overview sales volume
Page 61 and 62:   Self‐service Sales volume
Page 63 and 64: June  Flowers  9,324,582  3,2

Horticultural News January - February issue

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