How Kenya's Flower Industry is Blossoming Into New Markets Globally

The global flower trade is far from ornamental — it’s a serious business worth billions. Valued at an estimated $37.45 billion in 2023, the cut flower market is projected to grow steadily at 4.8 percent annually through 2030.

While Europe has long dominated global consumption, new markets are quietly gaining ground. Among them is Russia, where floral demand remains strong despite ongoing geopolitical realignments. With a flower market worth $1.6 billion in 2023, Russia continues to rank among the world’s top consumers of fresh blooms.

Traditionally reliant on imports from the Netherlands, Ecuador, and Colombia, Russia is now broadening its bouquet of suppliers — and Kenya is emerging as a compelling contender. As the world’s fourth-largest flower exporter, Kenya sees this opening not just as a trade opportunity, but as a chance to cultivate deeper economic ties, diversify its export base, and showcase the resilience of its agricultural sector on a new global stage.

African Currents sat down with Clement Tulezi, CEO of the Kenya Flower Council, to explore how Kenya’s vibrant flower industry continues to thrive globally.

"The Russian market is very attractive to us [...]. We know we have dominant suppliers in that market. The biggest supplier to the Russian market is basically Ecuador. It's about 38% of the market share, followed by the Netherlands, about 34%. And then we have Colombia, which is about 13%, and Kenya is at 8.5 [%]. So, we see an opportunity for us to scale up and eat into the market share of the bigger dominating countries. We know that Kenya has a long-standing business relationship with Russia. We are huge importers of fertilizers, wheat, and corn from Russia. Actually, in 2023, we imported goods worth US$990 million from Russia. So, we see that with this bilateral cooperation, we can leverage on it, and be able to start moving bigger volumes, looking at especially cut flowers and probably tea, and maybe some fruits or so," Tulezi said.

To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the African Currents podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.

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