The war in Iran makes Kenya’s roses ‘wither’

The war against Iran has not only brought the Gulf markets to their knees, raised inflation and increased the costs of air and sea transport globally, but has also Kenyan roses ‘wither’ and left to earth his tea, that rot or remain unsold in warehouses. This was revealed by the Financial Times, according to which, since Tehran reacted by launching drones and missiles against the United States’ allies in the Gulf, the flowers grown on the slopes of Mt Kenya I am ended up in the sea, or fed to the sheep.

Kenya is the largest exporter of black tea

Il Kenya is the world’s fourth largest producer of cut flowers and the largest exporter of black tea. And overall, because of the war in the Middle East, it has lost more than half of its volumes mainly intended for export there wholesalers in Dubai, Riyadh, Teheran and Dohaafter major cargo airlines suspended flights from Kenya.

Impact on Europe

The stop also partially impacted Europe, given that florists such as Interflora and Bloom & Wild iThey import much of their flowers from Kenya. According to the FT, the Kenyan flower sector is one of the country’s main sources of foreign exchange, generating almost 900 million dollars a year and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, directly and indirectly. Kenya’s tea industry, Africa’s largest with roots dating back to colonial times, which last year exported 600,000 tonnes worth $1.4 billion to markets including Pakistan, Egypt and the United Kingdom, has also suffered serious damage.

Losses of 8 million per week

According to the East African Tea Trade Association, the Middle East accounts for 20-25% of exports, with losses of $8 million a week since March 1 due to war-induced disruptions. Millions of kilos of leaves are stuck in the port of Mombasawhere regional tea auctions take place. The shipments, explains Nick Munyi, a tea trader in Mombasa, which would normally have been destined for the Gulf have been redirected to Colombo, Sri Lanka, where congestion caused serious transshipment delays. Due to the ongoing threat from the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea, trade that would normally pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to reach Egypt has also been diverted, bypassing South Africa and the Cape of Good Hope. These longer routes have increased costs and caused delays in payments.