A bouquet of 10 red roses that cost about Sh500 last year now sells for Sh2,000, a price increase that has made even simple Valentine’s gestures unaffordable for many Kenyans.
Prices have climbed steeply in the run-up to February 14, traders say, as high demand and export markets take up most of Kenya’s high-quality roses, leaving less for local buyers.
Some florists say they have not had any roses since January.
Limited supply has pushed prices sharply higher, with a buyer hoping to make a grand Valentine’s gesture now paying Sh15,000 for a 100-stem bouquet.
‘The prices have really gone up. The suppliers just told us roses are not available, no explanations,’ says Zippora Wachira, a florist, adding, ‘The very few stems we’re getting are so pricey, we are forced to pass the cost to customers.’
So, where have all the roses gone?
Clement Tulezi, the CEO of the Kenya Flower Council, says the shortage in local markets is not due to low production, but rather to exceptionally high demand in international markets.
‘The demand was extremely high. All export-quality roses were taken up. Growers sold almost everything,’ he said, adding, ‘even I faced a difficulty in sourcing red roses for a school event, I had to mix them with other flower varieties.’
Mr Tulezi adds that Valentine’s is not a day, it is a period. The export window runs from January 15 to February 10, a period of three weeks during which flower shipments increase significantly.
‘While celebrations happen on February 14, most exports are completed in the weeks leading up to it,’ he said.
On a normal day, Mr Tulezi said Kenya exports approximately 60 million stems of flowers. However, during the Valentine’s season, exports rise by about 35 percent, pushing daily shipments to over 90 million stems.