Rwandan florists are in the Netherlands, in search of wider markets for their produce. The ongoing International Floriculture Trade Fair (IFTF) in Vijfhuizen, Netherlands, has attracted participants from Europe who are potential buyers for the Rwandan traders.
Bella Flowers, a producer exporter of Rwandan cut fresh roses, is participating in the 3-day trade fair that ends on November 5, 2021. According to Jeanine Kayihura from Bella Flowers, the expo is an opportunity for Rwanda to demonstrate its potential in the global flower business.
“We are here to ensure more foreign investors explore different investment opportunities our country has to offer,” Kayihura said. “The IFTF is an opportunity for the Rwandan delegation to create international market linkages between Rwandan roses’ producers and international buyers.”
The Rwandan participants are facilitated through a joint collaboration of the Embassy of Rwanda in the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). Amb. Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe, Rwanda’s envoy to the Netherlands, said the IFTF is a great business communication channel when it comes to new countries in the sector.
“We are confident that our country’s participation in this trade fair will lead to the growth of flower volumes being imported by the Netherlands from Rwanda,” he said. "This will be an opportunity for Rwandan delegates to gain knowledge about the latest developments in the industry and how to deal with the sector’s pressing issues."
Despite the pandemic, Rwanda’s floriculture business is booming on account of a buoyant international market, according to data from NAEB. In the 2020/21 fiscal year, a volume of 1,193,834 kgs of flowers exported contributed $7,908,025 (about Rwf8bn) revenue. Officials said that this is also due to the expansion of greenhouses in which the flowers are produced.
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