“We have the ambition to become a serious lily producer in the coming years”

At IFTEX, Kenyan grower Blooming Innovations showcased its ambitions for the future. While the company has built its reputation on hydrangeas, delphiniums, Statice and Limonium, this year’s focus is increasingly shifting towards lilies, a crop that General Manager Bert Louwerse sees as an important addition to the company’s portfolio.

According to Bert, the past year has not been the easiest for Kenya’s floriculture sector. “The Kenyan flower market has had a challenging year, mainly due to the freight situation. Transport has become expensive,” he explains. Nevertheless, he remains optimistic. “We think we make a good product and the opportunities for the Kenyan sector in the long term look very positive.”

© Martijn Haas | FloralDaily.com
Bert Louwerse of Blooming Innovations, Inge Quint of IQ Flower Art and Meindert Roosendaal of Sosiani

Focus on lilies
Blooming Innovations is traditionally known for its hydrangeas and delphiniums, but visitors to the company’s IFTEX stand will notice a stronger emphasis on lilies. “We started with lilies two years ago and we want to show our customers that we have the ambition to become a serious lily producer in the coming years,” Bert explains. The focus is particularly on the Middle East, a market that plays a crucial role for the company.

“For us, the Middle East is extremely important. We are active in event flowers. Delphiniums and hydrangeas are not often sold as a bouquet for the home, but they are widely used in large floral arrangements where people want to create a striking display.” The lily crop complements this strategy well. “That is why lilies fit so well within our assortment.”

Innovation
The company’s name reflects its approach to product development. According to Bert, innovation remains central to Blooming Innovations’ strategy. “We are always testing. We enjoy developing new products. More of the same is not where we excel,” he says. “We always try to stay ahead of the curve where possible.”

Freight costs
Logistics continue to be one of the sector’s biggest concerns. Kenya’s flower industry has expanded significantly in recent years, while airfreight capacity remains dependent on global demand. “The sector has grown enormously, with more and more greenhouses being built, but we do not have guaranteed transport,” says Bert. “Transport capacity moves with global demand, particularly from China to Europe and China to America.”

As a result, airfreight rates have increased considerably. “Airfreight has become relatively expensive compared to what we were used to paying, and that weighs heavily on our cost price.”

At the same time, he believes the industry may need to adjust its expectations. “Perhaps it is simply normal that flying is no longer cheap when fuel becomes more expensive. It is an illusion to think that everything will automatically become cheaper again when current conflicts end.”

Progress in biological crop protection
On the production side, Bert sees encouraging developments, particularly in crop protection. “I think we have made enormous progress in Kenya over the last ten years,” he says. “There has been a clear movement away from chemical crop protection towards integrated and, where possible, biological control.”

According to him, Kenya’s labor availability is helping accelerate this transition. “We have many people available for scouting, implementing biological controls and monitoring crops.”

While technologies such as drones are attracting attention across the horticultural sector, Blooming Innovations currently relies on human expertise. “Because labor is still relatively affordable, this is not yet the moment for us to invest heavily in those technologies,” Bert explains. “At the moment, we solve these challenges with skilled people. We still have enough highly educated Kenyan employees who are very motivated to scout crops every day.”

Sustainability
Sustainability requirements continue to increase throughout the supply chain, particularly regarding the use of crop protection products and fertilisers. “We are audited every year on our fertiliser and crop protection use, and every year we have to create an improvement plan,” says Bert. “Normally, those improvements are very achievable.”

For him, sustainability should not be driven solely by regulations. “As a company, you should not wait until you are forced to make the transition. We try to anticipate change. Customers no longer want unsustainable practices, and you should also ask yourself whether you still want it.”

Specialist grower
Blooming Innovations operates from two locations in Kenya: one in Gilgil, near the horticultural hub of Naivasha, and another near Ol Kalou. Together, the sites cover approximately 35 hectares of greenhouse production and employ around 800 people. “That still makes us a medium-sized player,” Bert notes. “We have no immediate ambition to become one of the biggest producers. We have found our niche.”

For more information:
Blooming Innovations
[email protected]
https://blooming-innovations.com/en/