The all-time high earnings were attributed to the sale of 159,961 metric tonnes compared to 133,668 tonnes shipped to European markets in 2016.
Kenya Flower Council (KFC) said the labour-intensive subsector witnessed heavy investments in new farms and expansion driven by tax incentives for key imported inputs.
While May had the highest volumes at 16,093 metric tonnes earning farmers Sh7.5 billion [74 million USD], producers earned Sh7.66 billion [75.8 million USD] from 13,766 metric tonnes due to increased demand in December. The KFC said increased airfreight to key markets had also boosted Kenya’s market share to 35 per cent globally.