article_snippet: Kenya is the third largest exporter of cut flowers in the world, accounting for around 35% of all sales in the European Union.
article_snippet: Famed for being long-lasting, Kenya's roses, carnations and summer flowers are also popular in Russia and the U.S. where last week several growers showcased several growers blooms at the World Floral Expo in Los Angeles.
article_snippet: Kenya's flower power is attributed to Kenya sunny climate, which enables high-quality blossoms to be grown year-round without the need for expensive-to-run greenhouses.
article_snippet: Kenya also has excellent transport links to Europe, and from there, the rest of the world through Nairobi airport, which has a terminal dedicated specially to the transport of flowers and vegetables.
article_snippet: This means that delicate floral cargo which is perishable in nature can be shifted from growers to consumers swiftly.
article_snippet: More than 500,000 people in Kenya depend on the trade according to the Kenya Flower Council, with roughly half of Kenya's 127 flower farms concentrated around Lake Naivasha, around 90 kilometers northwest of Nairobi.
article_snippet: People have been growing flowers there for a long time so there is a skilled labor force in place," a skilled labor force in place adds.
article_snippet: Horticulture has been one of the top foreign exchange earners for Kenya, and the flower industry alone raked in around $600m last year, exporting 124,858 tonnes valued at around $507m in 2013.
article_snippet: Nearly two thirds of exports are destined for Holland, where Nearly two thirds of exports are resold to florists through auctions which present a safe avenue into the market for less seasoned growers: "If you sell through an auction and you have a good quality product, people will be competing for your flowers which will give you a better price," Kihia says.
article_snippet: While Europe remains the biggest destination for Kenyan flowers due to Kenyan relative geographic proximity and good transport links, this has left producers vulnerable to turmoil on the continent, such as the recent recession.
article_snippet: Kenyan exports also suffered when in October of last year the EU imposed import taxes on cut flowers from the country, but the levy was lifted on Christmas Day allowing Kenyan producers to storm Valentine's Day sales.
article_snippet: Jane Ngige says that the industry is now exploring other markets such as Australia, Canada and Japan, and adds that direct flights from Nairobi airport play a crucial role in helping the Kenyan flower business take off globally: "A direct flight to the destination is key owing to the fact that this is fresh produce and the industry needs to get to the end user quickly in order to guarantee quality.
article_snippet: Kenyan growers are now lending Kenyan growers floral expertise to neighboring Rwanda by partnering with the country's government to create a 35 hectare flower park 60 kilometers from Rwanda's capital Kigali.
article_snippet: It's hoped that a 35 hectare flower park 60 kilometers will eventually produce three million stems per year and kick-start Rwanda's floriculture sector, which could pump more than $200 million into the country's economy by 2017.
highlights_snippet: Kenya is one of the biggest flower exporters in the world .
  
highlights_snippet: Around one in three flowers sold in Europe come from Kenya .