Poor flower prices in Europe, the main buyer of Rwanda’s flowers, have affected export opportunities.John Mwendia, a floricultural expert with National Agriculture Export Board (NAEB), said global flower prices had dropped because European countries have favourable weather conditions to grow their own flowers around this time.“It is currently summer in Europe.. this suits flower growing. Therefore, they do not need to import flowers compared to winter,” he explained in an interview with Business Times last week.Presently, Rwanda has been focusing on production of ornamental flowers. Farmers from different parts of the country produce 262,448 stems per month, generating Rwf8.3m per month.Mwendia said the country’s main ornamental flower market is Holland, where farmers exported 40 boxes of three different flower varieties in June. “We exported Agapanthus, Kilbury and white Arab flowers totalling to 9,725 tonnes,” said Mwendia.The government has been encouraging flower farmers to grow cut flowers as they are more lucrative compared to ornamental flowers. “We are still constructing greenhouses to grow cut flowers on a pilot basis. Hopefully, we shall have completed the work by the end of the year and start growing cut flowers,” said Mwendia.The sector, which faces challenges of lack of starting capital, inadequate skills, poor transportation means and global flower price fluctuation is looked upon as one of the future foreign exchange earners of the country.Once fully established, the cut roses sub-sector will create thousands of jobs and boost the country’s balance of payment position, besides bolstering the economy.About 113 Rwandans were recently trained in greenhouse management, packaging and branding, crop husbandry, ICT,
