Tushar Vyas works for the Subati Flower Company in Kenya, where he manages a 35-hectare flower farm. He has packed some of his roses so they can be shipped to Shanghai for potential buyers at the China International Import Expo (CIIE). Kenya is Africa’s biggest flower exporter, and the fourth largest in the world, and China has become the fastest growing market for its roses. It takes less than two days for Kenyan roses to reach vases in Chinese households.
The Subati Flower Company is among the more than 3,600 companies from over 170 countries attending the CIIE, the world’s first national-level import expo. It is an addition to China’s 60-plus year history organizing the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the Canton Fair, the country’s largest trade fair.