Flower export from Kenya, straight from the farms
Kenya grows some of the best roses on earth, and most of the world already knows it. If you are buying fresh cut flowers in volume, whether that is a box a week for a florist in Nairobi or a weekly air freight consignment to Europe, this page explains how it works and how to start.
Why buyers import flowers from Kenya
Kenya is one of the largest exporters of cut flowers in the world and the leading supplier of roses into the European Union. That is not marketing, it is the shape of the industry.
The reason is geography. The growing regions sit between roughly 1,500 and 2,500 metres above sea level, almost exactly on the equator. Long, even daylight all year. Cool nights. Strong light without brutal heat. Roses grown in those conditions come up with thick stems, tight heads and colour that holds.
The second reason is that there is no season. A farm in the Netherlands has a calendar. A farm in Naivasha has a rotation. You can buy the same variety in February and in August.
The third is the route. Flowers leave Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi on daily freight, which means a stem cut on Tuesday morning can be in a European wholesaler on Wednesday.
How big Kenyan flower export actually is
Buyers ask us to prove the country is a serious source. Here is the public record rather than our opinion.
Sources: Kenya Flower Council and Horticultural Crops Directorate figures for 2025, reported May 2026.
Who buys Kenyan flowers, and how that is changing
The Netherlands still takes the largest share, but a lot of that is the Dutch auction acting as a hub and selling the same stems onward. The interesting movement is everywhere else.
| Destination | Value, quarter three 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | USD 68.7m | 35.1% |
| United Kingdom | USD 27.9m | 14.3% |
| United Arab Emirates | USD 15.8m | 8.1% |
| France | USD 15.4m | 7.9% |
| Germany | USD 12.5m | 6.4% |
| Spain | USD 8.2m | 4.2% |
| Saudi Arabia | USD 7.8m | 4.0% |
| Kazakhstan | USD 6.8m | 3.5% |
| Everywhere else | USD 32.5m | 16.6% |
Two things follow from that table. The first is that the Gulf now buys more Kenyan horticulture than Germany and Spain combined. The second is that between 2019 and 2023 the European Union and United Kingdom share of cut flower value fell from 75.6 percent to 66.3 percent, while non European destinations grew from USD 142 million to USD 223 million. European value did not shrink. Everyone else simply grew around it.
If you are buying outside Europe, you are buying into the fastest moving part of this trade, and you are far more likely to get a grower to talk to you directly rather than through an auction floor.
Sources: Horticultural Crops Directorate quarter three 2025 export data, and 2019 to 2023 cut flower trade analysis.
Where flowers are grown in Kenya
Almost all of the country’s export flowers come from a handful of highland areas.
Naivasha. The heart of it. Farms along Lake Naivasha account for a large share of Kenya’s rose exports.
Nakuru and the Rift Valley. High altitude, big farms, long stem roses.
Limuru and Kiambu. Close to Nairobi, cool and wet, good for roses and for summer flowers.
Mount Kenya and Timau. The highest of them. Slow growing, heavy heads, the stems that fetch the most.
Athi River and Kajiado. Warmer, faster turnaround, strong on summer flowers and foliage.
We source from farms around Naivasha and Limuru. When you ask for something we do not hold, we go to the farm that grows it well rather than the one that is nearest.
What Kenya exports, and what we can source
| Category | What it covers | Typical stem lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Standard roses | Single head roses. Reds, whites, creams, pinks, peach, bicolours and the novelty tints. | 40cm to 80cm |
| Spray roses | Multiple heads per stem. Popular for bouquet work and events. | 40cm to 70cm |
| Summer flowers | Hypericum, gypsophila, statice, solidago, eryngium, alstroemeria, carnations, chrysanthemum, tuberose. | 50cm to 80cm |
| Foliage and fillers | Eucalyptus, ruscus, pittosporum, leather leaf and similar greens. | Varies |
Grading follows stem length and head size. A 40cm rose and an 80cm rose of the same variety are different products at different prices, and it is worth being specific about which one you want.
How a flower export order from Kenya actually runs
1. You tell us what you need. Variety or colour, stem length, quantity, how often, and the airport it is going to. If you do not know the varieties by name, tell us the look and we will send options.
2. We quote. Pricing in this trade is per stem, and it moves with the season, the grade and the week. Valentines and Mothers Day are the two weeks everything changes. A quote will say clearly what is included and what is not.
3. You confirm and we book. Standing weekly orders get better prices and better allocation than one off requests, because the farm can plan the harvest.
4. Harvest, grade and pack. Cut, graded, treated and packed cold. Flowers travel in half boxes and full boxes, the standard units of this trade, with stem counts per box depending on variety and length.
5. Out through JKIA. Air freight from Nairobi. You get the flight details and the airway bill number for the consignment.
6. It lands. Most European destinations are next day. Middle East and Asia depend on the routing.
Why the cold chain decides everything
Flowers do not fail because of the flying. They fail because of the waiting.
From the moment a rose is cut it wants to be cold. Field heat pulled out fast, held in a cool room, packed cold, moved cold. Every hour a box sits warm on a tarmac is vase life you have already spent.
When you compare suppliers, this is the question to ask. Not how big the farm is. How the boxes are handled between the cool room and the aircraft.
Freight, terms and the words you will see
Per stem pricing. The trade quotes per stem, not per bunch and not per box.
FOB. Free on board. You are buying the flowers loaded for export at Nairobi. Freight from there is yours.
CIF. Cost, insurance and freight. The price includes getting the box to your airport.
HB and FB. Half box and full box, the standard cartons. Stem counts per box depend on variety and stem length.
Airway bill. Your tracking document for the consignment.
Ask for FOB and CIF side by side. It is the only way to compare two suppliers honestly, because a low FOB with bad freight can cost more than a higher CIF.
Wholesale and retail, both
Importers and wholesalers abroad. Repeat weekly volume, specified varieties, consistent grade.
Florists and flower shops. Smaller, more varied, often mixed boxes rather than one variety.
Supermarkets and retail chains. Programme buying, tight specification, agreed calendar.
Event and wedding companies. One large order against a date, where arriving late is the same as not arriving.
Buyers inside Kenya. Hotels, event planners, offices and shops who want farm prices without the export paperwork. We supply that too, delivered in Nairobi.
If you are buying a single bouquet rather than a box, you are in the wrong place and we would rather tell you now. The retail shop is here.
What air freight will cost you, before you ask anyone for a quote
Freight is the line that surprises first time importers. It is charged on the gross weight of the box, not on the flowers inside it, so a light box of long stems can cost the same to fly as a heavy box of short ones. Air freight out of Nairobi moved from about USD 3.10 per kilo to about USD 5.00 per kilo during 2026.
Put your own box spec in and see what that does to your cost per stem.
This is freight and farm gate only. It does not include the phytosanitary certificate, handling at either end, duty, or your clearing agent. Ask us for a full landed quote and those lines will be in it.
The point the calculator makes for you is this. At a typical box spec, freight is somewhere between a quarter and a half of what a stem costs you on arrival. That is why the density of the box matters more than almost anything else in the price you are quoted, and why a supplier who packs badly is expensive even when their per stem price looks cheap.
Getting a quote
Send us these five things and you will get a useful answer rather than a brochure.
- What you want. Variety names if you have them, colours and a reference photo if you do not.
- Stem length and grade.
- Quantity, and whether it is one order or a repeating one.
- Destination airport, or the address in Nairobi.
- The date you need it to land.
Flower export from Kenya, questions buyers ask
Can I import flowers from Kenya directly?
Yes. Buyers around the world do it every week. You need a destination that accepts cut flower imports, a freight arrangement, and a supplier who will quote you honestly. Tell us the airport and we will tell you how the route works.
What flowers are exported from Kenya?
Roses above everything, both single head and spray. Then summer flowers such as hypericum, gypsophila, statice, solidago, eryngium, alstroemeria, carnations and chrysanthemum, plus foliage like eucalyptus and ruscus.
Where are flowers grown in Kenya?
Mainly Naivasha, Nakuru and the Rift Valley, Limuru and Kiambu, the Mount Kenya and Timau highlands, and the warmer Athi River area. Altitude is what gives the stems their length and the heads their weight.
How are flowers priced for export?
Per stem, and it moves with the season, the variety and the grade. The two weeks before Valentines Day and before Mothers Day are the peaks. Ask for FOB and CIF together so you can compare suppliers properly.
How long does it take to reach my country?
Flowers leave Nairobi by air. Most European destinations are next day. Middle East and Asian routes depend on the connection. We give you the flight and the airway bill when the box goes.
Is there a minimum order?
Yes, because flowers ship in boxes and a box has to be full to travel well. Tell us what you are trying to do and we will tell you the smallest sensible order for it rather than quoting a number that does not fit you.
Can you supply flowers wholesale inside Kenya?
Yes. Hotels, event companies, offices and shops in Nairobi buy from us at volume prices without any export paperwork.
What makes Kenyan roses different?
Altitude and equatorial light. Cool nights slow the growth, which thickens the stem and tightens the head. It is the same reason the highest farms command the highest prices.
Can I get a sample before committing?
Ask. A small first consignment is a reasonable way to check grading and cold chain before you set up a standing order, and any supplier confident in their flowers will agree to it.
How do I start?
Message us with the five things listed above. You will get a real quote, not a catalogue.
