ISINYA – The red rose: a token of love for many, and for Kenya, a major economic sector. More than a third of Kenya's flower exports where the roses, in particular, are prized for their longevity and vase performance, the Kenyan government says.
What can’t be seen within these uniformly perfect blooms is a tiny larva laid inside the rosebuds, laid by the false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta), which doesn’t just feed on roses but can also affect fruits and vegetables.
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The moth has been devastating crops across Africa. The European Union is intensifying measures to prevent its spread into Europe, classifying FCM among organisms targeted for regulation as quarantine pests, with consequences for hard-pressed Kenyan farmers.
According to the Kenya Flower Council, the detection of a single live FCM at any developmental stage leads to the rejection of an entire flower consignment.
“They are too strict,” laments Jacky Mwanzia, a marketer with Isinya Roses in Kajiado County, south of Nairobi. “Most of our shipments to the EU are quarantined, and it takes time. It is a waste because we have to meet customers’ demand, so we are looking for alternative markets where these measures are not too strict, as we lose about 30% of our revenue.”
Nationally, the flower industry employs half a million people, according to a Central Bank of Kenya 2021 report, and is estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics to be worth over $800 million. Roses make up about 66% of cut flower exports, at an estimated value of about $300 million.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) reports that since 2020, EU sampling of Kenyan roses has increased from 5% to 25%, leading to more frequent quarantines and shipment returns.
Despite existing stringent protocols, the EU is expected to enforce even tougher restrictions in the coming months. Due to ongoing noncompliance by exporters, the EU will impose special requirements applicable to Kenyan cut roses, reports the Committee Linking Entrepreneurship, Agriculture, and Development, a French-based network of companies that engages in sustainable agriculture. These new rules take effect on Apr. 26, 2025.
Kenya’s warm climate and soils are ideal for growing roses but also favor pests, so pesticides are routinely used to minimize losses. A 2020 study by the Route To Food Initiative of the Nairobi branch of the Heinrich Boell Foundation, a non-profit, found that 75% of pesticides used in Kenya are highly hazardous. Nearly half are banned in the EU but are still used in Kenya largely due to lower regulatory standards.
Farmers who want to export to the EU have to stay within the bloc's pesticide regulations while also trying to control FCM populations. It can be a tricky balancing act.
“The EU has a strict zero tolerance on caterpillars and on several chemicals that, given the current weather conditions, we must use. Otherwise, we cannot meet our production targets,” says Anantha Kumar, marketing manager at Isinya Roses. The company is a major local employer, with a workforce of up to 1,000 people, depending on seasonal demand.
As a result, the company is now eyeing other markets with less stringent regulations. “The Middle East market is ready to accept our products, and it is really growing,” Kumar says.
In spite of the challenges, the growers at Isinya Roses are not ready to abandon the European market just yet. They are trying natural pest control methods, including releasing beneficial insects, companion planting, using pheromone traps, and applying natural fertilizers and composting instead of chemical fertilizers.
But this year, flower farmers will likely face a challenging Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, which are usually peak sales periods for cut flowers around the world.