Kenya ’s horticultural sector is a vital component of its thriftiness , contributing to 70 % of the country ’s exports . The majority of these product are destine for the Netherlands , a key trading partner . Traditionally , air freight has been the primary mode of conveyance for these goods . However , the rising costs associate with decreasing air freight capacity have instigate a duty period toward sea freight .
Despite this modulation , Kenya faces sozzled contention from land like Colombia , which have plant sea shipping road to Europe for their horticultural product . To enhance Kenya ’s competitive edge in ocean loading , it is crucial to increase trade volumes and reduce costs .
Dutch Royal couple attend the trial run load by railing of a joint container with cut flowers from the inland store in Naivasha to the port in Mombasa , for further sea load to Rotterdam , The Netherlands
Flowers on railThe Netherlands has been instrumental in driving the transition to more sustainable agro - logistics in Kenya through the ' Combi - Track ' approach . This public - individual collaboration aim to heighten the efficiency of Kenya ’s logistics systems by contribute together various stakeholder , including farmers , exporter , logistics providers , and policymakers . The initiative rivet on developing an efficient nerveless logistics organisation to best manage the transport of horticultural Cartesian product .
One promising chance for Kenya is apply the Standard Gauge Rail ( SGR ) line between Naivasha and Mombasa . Optimizing this rail connection for cooled exaltation can significantly foreshorten logistics price , cut theodolite times , and low-down carbon emissions compared to road tape drive . A important milepost in this effort was the first trial shipment of cut flowers in a cooled container on March 19th , during the state visit by King Willem - Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands .
The imperial couple witness the dispatch of Maersk ’s reefer container filled with slashed flowers , part of a run to develop a proof of concept for transporting refrigerated containers by rail . By gathering insights on succeeder factors and bottlenecks , the end is to key out key challenge , optimize operation , and in the end scale up the use of goods and services of rail and ocean freight for Kenya ’s agricultural and horticultural exports . The first marijuana cigarette container with flowers was transported on the Standard Gauge Railway to Mombasa , and then shipped by ocean to the Port of Rotterdam , one of Maersk ’s fundamental hub and Europe ’s largest port . This marks a substantial accomplishment in the collaborative campaign between the Netherlands and its partners to supercharge and facilitate flower exports from Kenya to its fundamental Dutch customers .
Maersk ’s joint container with Kenyan flowers destined for the Netherlands set forth from the inland depot in Naivasha towards the port in Mombasa
A cultural iconFlowers fiddle a significant purpose in The Netherlands , not only as a major exportation trade good but also as a ethnical icon . The country is renowned for its bloom fields , specially tulips , which draw in tourist from around the world . The Dutch blossom industriousness date stamp back to the 16th one C when tulips were introduced from the Ottoman Empire . Tulips became a symbol of wealth and prestige during the Dutch Golden Age , and their bequest endures today , with The Netherlands being one of the largest exporter of flowers globally .
Moreover , The Netherlands is a key importer of thinned flowers to assure their availability throughout all seasons and to run into the gamey demand of the heyday - screw land . The Dutch flower auction organization play a pivotal role in the global flowered market , facilitating effective distribution across Europe and beyond . This importation is all important for maintain the country ’s condition as a orbicular floral hub and control that a diverse range of flowers is available to consumer yr - round .
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