Kenya develops new marketing strategy to boost horticulture exports

By Lenah Bosibori

Kenya has developed a one-year marketing strategy to boost export of its horticulture products to the European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, United Arab Emirates, Russia and the United States of America.

The strategy aims to market and achieve a 10 per cent export growth in 2020/2021. 

Kathleen Kihanya, a senior official at Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency said Kenya aims to boost the competitiveness of its horticultural produce in the overseas markets through improved agronomic practices and targeted promotions.

“It is encouraging to see all horticulture sector players joining hands and corporately developing an integrated marketing strategy that will ensure that the story of our unique, good quality products is effectively communicated globally,” Kihanya said at a virtual briefing in Nairobi.

The Integrated Marketing Communication Strategy (IMC) developed by the exports agency and horticulture sector players is “customer-focused and aims to achieve a competitive advantage for the horticultural produce,” she added.

The CEO of Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency believes the key players in the horticultural sector who developed the strategy are confident it will lead to improved export of fresh produce overseas. 

“As an Agency, we can only rely on the producers since our role is to facilitate export growth in the targeted and emerging markets,” Wilfred Marube said.

Kenya’s horticultural sector remains among the country’s top four foreign exchange-earners. The sector accounted for 19 percent of total exports in East Africa’s largest economy in 2019.

However, Kenya’s half-year exports of horticulture decreased by 3 billion shillings from 60.9 billion shillings in 2019 to 57.9 billion shillings in the same period in 2020.

The decrease is attributed to disruptions linked to COVID -19 and the measures to control its spread which saw nations closing their borders, thus hindering exports.

The new export strategy will focus on horticultural events planning, advocacy on common issues, public relations activities, digital marketing and compelling storytelling campaigns.

“While Kenya produces some of the best fresh produce sold at the international markets, we haven’t fully exploited this potential, it is therefore timely that we develop a strategy to communicate deliberately on our offering,” said Hosea Michuki, CEO, Fresh Produce Export Association on Kenya(FPEAK).

As a sector, we are delighted to be part of this very important process of determining the trajectory of enhancing the exports of Kenya’s horticulture produce,” he added.

Kenya Flower Council (KFC) CEO, Clement Tulezi, said industry players were confident of enlarging their export market footprint.