Due to the soaring cost of living, many European households have reduced their consumption of non-essential items, including flowers, which has led to a sharp decline in Kenya's flower exports.


Flower-based horticulture and agricultural exports are one of Kenya's main sources of income, with roses being the main category.


In Europe, Kenya's roses have a market share of about 38%.


However, households and businesses in many European countries are reducing their purchases of non-essential items such as flowers, leaving Kenyan flower growers in a difficult position as most of their produce is sold to Europe due to high inflation.


Anant Kummer is the head of marketing at Isinya Roses Kenya. He says that We export our roses mainly to European countries, but now our exports to Europe are down by 35 to 40 percent.


This is a recent trend and we don't know how long it will take to recover.


The latest figures from Kenya's central bank show that Kenya's export revenue from horticulture-related products was only $535 million in the first half of this year, down 11.27 percent year-on-year and the biggest drop since 2012.


And with the strong dollar and the continued depreciation of the euro, growers are facing more uncertainties.


Bimal Kantalia is a flower company general manager of Kenya.


He says that fertilizer and other aspects of flower growing inputs are used in U.S. dollars, but the export revenue is calculated in euros, which has caused the balance sheet imbalance.


Horticulture and agricultural exports, mainly flowers, are one of Kenya's main foreign exchange earners, with roses being the main category.


In Europe, Kenya's roses have a market share of around 38%.


However, due to high inflation, households and businesses in many European countries are reducing their purchases of non-essential items such as flowers, which has put Kenya's flower growers in a difficult position.


We export our roses mainly to European countries, but now our exports to Europe are down by 35-40 percent, said a company director.


The latest data from Kenya's central bank shows that Kenya's export revenue from horticulture-related products in the first half of this year was only $535 million, down 11.27 percent year-on-year, the biggest drop since 2012.


And with the strong dollar and the continued depreciation of the euro, growers are also facing more uncertainty.