Rwanda will again participate in The Netherlands’ International Floriculture Trade fair (IFTF) scheduled for 6th – 8th November 2019. This 10th edition of this flower expo will be of additional value to other efforts that inform the Rwandan floriculture sector at the platform of international flower trades.
A delegation of two Rwandan flower growing companies (Bella Flowers and Bloom Hills) accompanied by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) person in charge of Export Market Development and Innovation will attend this event, in a bid to attract promising flower investors to venture in Rwandan flower business.
Ms. Cynthia UWACU, the representative of NAEB at IFTF 2019 says that the Expo is an opportunity for the Rwandan delegation to create international market linkages between Rwandan roses and summer flower producers and international buyers. “We are here to create awareness of the ‘Rwandafresh’ brand on the global market thus to mobilise more foreign investors willing to invest in the Rwanda floriculture value chain,” she confirmed.
The attendance of the Rwandan delegates in the IFTF will also be an opportunity to draw lessons about “flower branding and tourism” from the Netherlands and replicate it in Rwanda. The delegates’ participation in the IFTF 2019 will be guided by the vision “Enhanced Sales through Flower Branding and Tourism”. This will be a dual purpose agenda to attain a target of US $140 million by 2020.
Mr. Shungo Harada, the Managing Director of Bloom Hills Company added that they chose to participate with an aim to interact with buyers, learn about prevailing market trends and understand the dynamics in the floriculture auction market.
The outcome of Rwandan delegates’ attendance to the IFTF has greatly influenced sales of Rwandan flowers through the Netherlands flower auction market. The IFTF experience has also oriented the companies to improve their production area. The floriculture sector in Rwanda grew to become one of the business deals attracting new investors due to market opportunities of the cash crop.
The current production acreage of flowers in Rwanda is targeting to be expanded to more than 30 ha very soon. This is why to sustain the projected increase in production will require equal initiatives in creating market links through the Netherlands market and flower hub.
According to the statistical report of 2018-2019 on the performance of Rwandan agri-exports sector, a total volume of 37,343 metric tons of horticultural produce were exported to international markets earning USD 27,174,785. Of these revenues, 11.6% is a value of flowers.
The Netherlands is a major buyer (98%) of Rwandan flowers through Brussels with Australia (2%) emerging as another potential market. This is one of the end results from a well-known emerged relationship between two countries (Rwanda and The Netherlands) since some years back.
The Rwandafresh stand can be found in hall E, stand 3.01.
International Floriculture Trade Fair: www.iftf.nl
National Agricultural Export Development Board: www.naeb.gov.rw
Source: Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Netherlands