Kenya moves to avert disruption of flower exports to the EU

By Newsflash Reporter

Nairobi, March 25, 2025 – The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has announced strict measures to ensure Kenya’s compliance with new European Union (EU) regulations on flower exports, aiming to prevent disruptions to the country’s multi-billion-shilling floriculture industry.

Flowers remain Kenya’s top horticultural export, with 102,475.80 tonnes valued at Ksh 72.1 billion in 2024, accounting for 53% of the country’s total horticultural export earnings.

However, a looming EU regulation targeting the False Codling Moth (FCM) threatens to restrict Kenya’s access to its largest flower market.

EU regulations and the False Codling Moth threat

The EU, a leading importer of Kenyan flowers, has been regulating FCM since 2017 due to its potential risk to agricultural products. The moth, which is endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa, affects flowers and a wide range of crops, including citrus, avocados, and vegetables.

A 2023 study commissioned by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that fresh-cut roses could introduce FCM into the EU, prompting stricter controls. Subsequently, the EU enacted Regulation 2004/2024 in July 2024, which introduces more stringent measures for rose exports. The regulation, set to take effect in Kenya on April 26, 2025, requires significant adjustments in flower production and supply chains.

Failure to comply fully with the new requirements could result in severe disruptions to Kenya’s flower exports. Already in 2024, 95 Kenyan flower consignments faced rejection, with 48 interceptions involving 2.1 million stems valued at 1.05 million euros due to FCM detections.

Government declares zero tolerance to FCM

To safeguard the industry, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has declared zero tolerance to FCM, reaffirming the government’s commitment to 100% compliance with EU regulations.

Kenya has opted for the Systems Approach, one of four compliance options provided by the EU. So far, the government has:

Developed and submitted the FCM Systems Approach Protocol to the EU.
Provided evidence of the efficacy of this approach at production sites.
Submitted a list of 134 approved production farms, each assigned a unique code for traceability.

Ongoing interventions to ensure compliance

The Ministry, through regulatory bodies such as KEPHIS, KALRO, PCPB, and AFA, is undertaking further measures, including:

Full implementation of the FCM Systems Approach to ensure adherence to EU standards.
Training floriculture sector stakeholders, with 475 agro-attendants and over 849 staff already trained.
Registration of pest control products by the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) for effective FCM management.

CS Kagwe reassured the EU of Kenya’s full compliance with the new standards, emphasizing that the country’s flowers will meet the highest quality requirements, with zero FCM detections in future exports.

With these measures in place, Kenya remains optimistic about sustaining its lucrative flower trade with the EU, securing thousands of jobs and billions in export revenue.