Kenya’s flower industry is losing millions of dollars every month as the conflict in the Middle East upends global commerce.
Horticulture is one of the country’s most important economic drivers, generating close to 1% of its GDP. But the sector is reliant on just-in-time air freight, and routes have become longer and more expensive because of the Iran war’s disruption to Gulf air hubs, forcing some producers to discard as much as half of their flowers.
The war has upended the travel industry, too, with forecasters estimating airfares — which have jumped sixfold on some routes — will remain high for months. “Travelers hoping for a drop in long-haul summer airfares are in for a brutal reality check,” Bloomberg wrote.
