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Kenya Flower Industry Global Competiveness Report

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ProVerde’s 2012 report “Kenya Flower Industry Global Competiveness Report” was the result of a study to identify measures to improve government-industry relations, support innovative entrepreneurship and promote exports to strengthen the competitiveness of Kenya’s floricultural sector. By reviewing other leading and upcoming producer countries, this study offers opportunities to learn from their experiences.

With assistance from the Centre for the Development of Enterprises (CDE) and the World Bank Foundation, the Kenya Flower Council (KFC) developed a project to conduct a series of studies and activities to determine the global competitiveness of the Eastern African flower industry. Specifically the World Bank funded a series of regional video conferences between May and December 2011.
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EU’s first Economic Partnership Agreement with an African region goes live

The interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) concluded by the EU and four Eastern and Southern African states (Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe) took effect on May 14, providing duty and quota free access to the EU market for these countries as well as opening their markets to European exports over the course of the next 15 years.

Furthermore, the Agreement covers provisions on rules of origin, development cooperation, fisheries, trade defence and dispute settlement. This EPA is a substantial improvement for Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe on the unilateral trade agreements they enjoyed so far because it encourages regional integration and strengthens a partnership approach with the EU, which in turn brings economic and political benefits that individual countries cannot achieve alone.
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Succesful benchmarking of flower standards

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The Flower Label Program (FLP) certification scheme has been successfully benchmarked with the Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) standard. With immediate effect, all FLP-certified producers can now market their produce also under the FFP-consumer label. The FLP producers can extend the FFP assortment at short notice. Due to the recent increase of FFP points of sale in Europe, these flowers will be more than welcome. At the same time, FLP is the first consumer label which enables it’s growers to market as well under FFP.
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Dutch flower auctions celebrate centenary

This year, FloraHolland flower auction celebrates its having been existence for a hundred years. With the motto of 100 Years’ Color, the jubilee will be marked this autumn at FloraHolland’s marketplaces in Aalsmeer, Bleiswijk, Eelde, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg. A century ago, growers agreed on the organization of the first local-scale flower auction, over a game of billiards in a pub.

A hundred years on, FloraHolland is a still-growing, internationally-active auction company: each day, the cooperative sees 8,000 Dutch and foreign growers delivering their flowers and plants; 2,500 professional customers (including many exporters and wholesalers) doing their purchasing; and a staff of well over 4,000 come to work. The auction has a turnover of 4.1 billion euros and sells more than 12 billion flowers and plants a year, making it a significant contributor to the Dutch economy.Read More »Dutch flower auctions celebrate centenary

Kenyan horticultural exports to EU might face taxation

Europe has issued a fresh warning of possible revenue losses for Kenya should the East African Community (EAC) fails to reach a trade deal soon.

“Kenya risks taxation on its exports to Europe by virtue of economic strength if the trade talks stall”, Mr Bernard Rey, head of the European Delegation told players in the horticulture sector. “EAC should realise the risks of the current situation of uncertainty. Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, all are least-developed countries, will enjoy duty-free quota access to the EU markets even if the EPA (economic partnership agreement) is not signed,” Mr Rey
said. “But Kenya will risk seeing tariffs imposed on a good number of exports to Europe including horticulture products”.
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Leading Belgian retailers in 2010

2010 was an important year for the Belgian distribution market. This was the year Dutch supermarket Albert Heijn officially confirmed its arrival, Delhaize started an offensive and Carrefour also showed a fighting spirit again. With the Dutch threat so definitive all of a sudden, there even was the possibility of a price war.

But what was the actual result for the supermarkets and what was the real result according to the figures? Following a good annual tradition Marketing Map prepared their report.
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EU to introduce uniform food labelling

All 27 EU member states will have to adhere to new rules on food labelling, giving consumers more information about the nutritional aspects of packaged food products. The new EU food labelling laws were given the last nod by the European Parliament last week and are expected to enter into force in three years’ time, giving food manufacturers ample time to adapt to the new regime.
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