We are trying to broaden our markets beyond the Middle East

For Lenana Flowers, a Kenyan chrysanthemum grower established three years ago, recent geopolitical disruptions have had a significant impact on business. According to Jeroen van Marrewijk, the crisis in the Middle East affected one of the company’s most important markets. “The Middle East crisis is fortunately over again, but it had a major impact on us because it is our largest market. We sell 70% of our flowers to the Middle East, and at that moment nothing could move,” he explained.

The disruption not only limited flower exports but also led to lasting changes in freight availability and transportation costs. “There was simply less cargo space available, and freight prices increased considerably. They will probably remain higher as well. Things are improving and at least there is space available again.”

Although Lenana Flowers sells its flowers FOB (Free On Board), meaning customers arrange and pay for transportation, freight costs remain a recurring topic in discussions with buyers. “We always hear back that freight prices are expensive and customers ask what can be done. But our own costs have increased as well. Fertilizer costs have almost doubled, transport to the airport has become more expensive, and all imports have become more expensive. Nothing is getting cheaper.”

© Martijn Haas | FloralDaily.com
Mohamed Zishaan, Jeroen van Marrewijk and Irene Gathoni of Lenana Flowers at IFTEX 2026

Middle East remains dominant market
The Middle East continues to be the company’s primary destination, with Oman accounting for a substantial share of sales. Russia remains another important market, although changing freight economics have altered trade flows. Jeroen explains that previous logistics routes into Russia have become less competitive. “With cheaper freight rates it was possible to fly directly from Kenya to Moscow or St. Petersburg via Qatar. That is no longer attractive. Flying to Amsterdam and trucking flowers to Russia has also become too expensive.”

In the past, Kenyan chrysanthemums successfully competed with Dutch product despite longer transit times. “We sold many flowers from Nairobi to Amsterdam and then transported them together with Dutch chrysanthemums by truck into Russia. Despite the long transport time, the product always arrived in good condition and was competitively priced. At the moment, however, we are losing that competition.”

Managing logistics and security
To maintain flexibility, Lenana Flowers operates its own trucks and diesel storage. However, periods of political unrest in Kenya have created additional operational challenges. “During the recent demonstrations, we had to ask ourselves whether we should send the truck or not, or perhaps drive at night. Then security becomes a concern. It created quite a lot of headaches.”

The company currently employs around 150 permanent staff members, supplemented with additional workers during peak periods.

From roses to chrysanthemums
Before founding Lenana Flowers, Jeroen worked primarily in rose cultivation at United Selections. However, chrysanthemums offered a more accessible opportunity for establishing a new business. “Roses are where my passion lies, but it simply was not possible to start with the scale needed to become a significant player in the market. Because of that reason we chose to grow chrysanthemums, at the time were not widely grown in Kenya but showed great potential.”

The company began with 3.5 hectares, a scale that made the business financially viable from the start and after 1,5 years doubled to 7 ha. Lenana Flowers operates from a farm located approximately five hours from Nairobi at an altitude of 1,800 meters. “We have a good climate, good water and good soil. We have around 80 hectares of land, and the next 3,5 ha block should be constructed coming 3 months and in production by January 2027” All chrysanthemums are grown directly in the soil.

Soil management and equipment
On the cultivation side, thrips remain a key challenge to control. Soil preparation is another area receiving considerable attention. “Thrips remain a major issue. And with chrysanthemums, soil management is extremely important.”

The company is evaluating smaller, lighter tractors better suited to greenhouse production and direct soil cultivation. “We are looking for compact, lightweight tractors with enough power to prepare the soil properly. That is difficult to find here. Most of the equipment available is quite heavy and not suitable for greenhouse production.”

Sustainability driven by company values
Unlike growers serving European retail markets, Lenana Flowers receives relatively few sustainability-related requirements from its main customer base. “To be honest, customers in the Middle East and Russia never ask about it.”

Nevertheless, the company actively pursues integrated crop management and biological control methods. “We try to grow using integrated methods and biological controls, not because customers demand it, but because we personally believe in it. We try to do things the right way.”

The same philosophy influences decisions regarding materials and resource use. “For example, we use hard plastic propagation trays. They are more expensive, but they can last ten years instead of needing replacement every two years. We try to be as sustainable as possible because we believe in it ourselves.”

Seeking market insights at IFTEX
For Jeroen, IFTEX served not only as a sales platform but also as an opportunity to gather valuable market feedback. “Because of our dependence on the Middle East, we are trying to broaden our markets. One of the main goals is to get a better understanding of which varieties our customers want. We are looking for feedback on where we should go with our assortment.”

Lenana Flowers currently grows around 45 commercial chrysanthemum varieties and markets approximately 300,000 stems per week. “Our largest variety accounts for about 120,000 stems of white decorative chrysanthemums, but we also have many smaller varieties around that.”

Market demand appears to be shifting toward more specialized products. “We are seeing increasing demand for the more unusual varieties, such as santinis and button chrysanthemums, rather than only decorative spray chrysanthemums.”

As the company continues to expand production and explore new markets, customer feedback on assortment development remains a key focus. “For us, the show is successful when we gain a better understanding of what the market wants and which direction we should take with our varieties.”

For more information:
Lenana Flowers
https://www.instagram.com/lenana_flowers_official/