Floriculture farming in the country which can boost economic production and specifically for the rural farmers has remained untapped despite its huge potential.
Wilmar Flowers company operations manager Joseph Kanyi on Friday urged rural farmers to exploit the opportunity and venture into the sector to reduce poverty.
Speaking during the national Wilmar flowers open day at state lodge floriculture farm in Mathira sub county, Nyeri County, Kanyi dismissed the perception that the crop is the reserve of the wealthy and that it can be grown only in green houses.
“It is an industry anyone can venture into regardless of his capital and size of land,” Kanyi said and encouraged the youth to venture into flower farming to fight the rampant unemployment amongst them.
He said, “flowers are also grown in open fields and the demand globally has not been met though this sector is lucrative, we are prepared to assist with training, extension services and financial needs to make the youth self-reliant”.
Wilmar Flowers Company has its headquarters in Thika, Kiambu County and has ventured into 14 counties promoting farmers to grow flowers depending on their ecological zones.
The counties include Kisii, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kiambu, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Embu and Meru among others.
Kanyi urged county governments to embrace flower farming to turn around the lives of citizens in their areas.
The operations manager said devolution has opened unexploited opportunities which counties should seize to develop their people.
Speaking during the same function, Nyeri County CEC for Agriculture James Wachihi Muturi said the area county government was supporting other farming practices together with traditional crops like coffee, tea and dairy farming.
A prominent flower grower from Kirinyaga county James Mugo said he had grown flowers from 1998 and had reaped big from the proceeds.
By Mwangi Gaitha
