NAIROBI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's herbs exports are projected to increase by 20 percent in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry lobby said on Friday.
Okisegere Ojepat, CEO, Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya told Xinhua in Nairobi herbs such as basil, rosemary and mint are experiencing heavy demand from the European Union, Britain and the Middle East.
"We are projecting that our exports of herbs will increase by between 15 to 20 percent this year as consumers believe that the plants will help them cope with the COVID-19 pandemic," Ojepat said.
According to the industry lobby, the east African nation exported approximately 4,000 tons of herbs in 2019.
He added that domestic consumption of herbs has also increased amongst consumers who believe they have medicinal value.
He observed that the lockdown measures put in place in the European Union to curb the spread of COVID-19 restricted movement of farmers and this meant lower production in the economic bloc.
"This created an opportunity for Kenyan farmers to sell to the European Union who have developed a taste for our herbs," he noted.
Ojepat said that most herbs are exported by air because they are perishable and need to reach markets on time.
He observed that due to their lightweight they need to be packaged with other horticultural produce.
Ojepat revealed that herbs are high-income crops for Kenyan farmers because they take between one to three months to mature and hence can be grown many times in a year. Enditem
