"Kenyan flowers tell a story of beauty, excellence and potential," Dick van Raamsdonk shared during the opening of IFTEX yesterday. Once the doors to the expo opened, it immediately got busy. Yesterday, there were around 6,000 visitors, and a similar number is expected again today.
Almost half of the exhibitors at the expo are flower growers, and buyers from 65 different countries are walking around to see the Kenyan flowers and their growers and to do business. There's a growing interest in the use of technology and AI, which can be seen by the growing presence of suppliers in that area.
The team of Red Lands Roses, a rose farm in Ruiru, Kenya
Bert Louwerse of Blooming Innovations and Roy Ouwens of Starflor, a marketplace for growers and buyers in the Netherlands
The vibes are good and apart from several challenges, such as freight, most growers are positive about both the stability and innovativeness of the floriculture sector. As the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development of Kenya, Mutahi Kagwe, said in his speech during the opening: "Kenya is open for business!"
The team of Chrysal proudly showing their new interactive screen, which the visitors love!
Gerben van Duijvenbode and Ruben Hoek of Hoek Group, exhibiting at IFTEX for the first time