Industry players cash in on Valentine’s Day flower sales

February is usually a good month for flower exporters, especially the roses, whose demand goes up as people celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Information coming from Ugandan exporters indicates that this year has been better than last year judging from the orders and the price offered to Uganda’s flowers.
In an interview with Prosper Magazine, the proprietor of Rose Bud (U) Ltd, the country’s largest roses grower and exporter, Mr Sudhir Rupaleria, said: “Since 65 per cent of production is sold on year round contract, we did not have much spare to sell. We sold all the flowers.”
He said this time the prices for the stems was also better than last year’s.
“Normal reds (roses) price offered ranged between 42 and 52 cents of a dollar (Shs1,500 and Shs1, 800). Yes, this was definitely better than last year,” Mr Rupaleria shared.
Last year each stem was sold between 29 and 35 cents of dollar which was 30 per cent less than this Valentine’s season.
Mr Ruparelia earlier in 2016 informed this newspaper that the flower business until May last year was very bad.
However, business improved from May onwards to December.
Although according to other sources it is still hard to tell how many tonnes of flowers were exported because this being the peak season orders are still being shipped. But projections indicate a good year.
Experts say this is promising news for the industry which was once Uganda’s top five exports revenue earner. It is also a sign that the sector is gradually recovering to its glory from previous shocks.

Statistics
In an earlier interview with Prosper Magazine, Uganda Flower Exporters Association (UFEA) executive director, Ms Juliet Musoke, said: “In the year ending we exported more than 6,500 tonnes of flowers, 200 tonnes more than what was exported the previous year.”
According to statistics from UFEA the Valentine’s exports were 336,278 kilogrammes up from 311,261 kilogrammes exported last year during the same season. This indicated a 7.1 per cent increase in flower exports for the Valentine’s season.

Challenges
The industry just like other sectors has suffered inflation pressures, high interest rates, the costly business environment, and stiff competition from the region especially from Kenya and Ethiopia.
Ms Musoke said in order to see change in the industry, government ought to respond to their long-pending demands.
The flower exporters demand, among other things, to get subsidies since most of their competitors in the region are given subsidies as is the case in countries such as Ethiopia. Freight charges too are still very high for Ugandan exporters.