Kenya floods disastrous for sales of beans, mangetouts and suger snaps

Flooding in Kenya led to serious problems during the last few months. The Red Cross announced earlier that more than 18,000 people had to leave their homes because of heavy rain. Most of the uprooted people are in the west of Kenya. Also tens of deaths have been reported and high ways washed away or damaged by the flooding.

Also for the cultivation of vegetables the results are, according to Harry Vervelde of FairFields, disastrous. "The rain storms have been so heavy, that a lot has been washed away. We are more involved in this because the 'small holders' who often grow their products on an inclination and the water then takes it all away. In addition the heavy rain forms channels, which become small rivers and these take away whatever they come in contact with.

"Because of our focus on Fairtrade we mainly work with smaller growers and they have no beans, sugar snaps and mangetouts available at the moment. In Kenya it is the rainy season at the moment, but these floods are exceptional with washed away bridges and roads and basins running over, which even has their effect on the entrance to farms, supply of the product and the availability of workers in the packing stations."

"Before these rain storms there was already a shortage of beans because of drought and after the small farmers because of the elections and fear for disquiet, carefully had started sowing and irrigation, just before Easter there was a shortage of green beans, whilst normally speaking these are good selling periods.

After the flooding we had problems with green spots on the mangetouts and sugar snaps. Before they arrive in the Netherlands these will be black spots - and on the beans rust and fungus - therefore these are no longer fit to sell," Harry explains.

Therefore we were forced last week to stop with product from Kenya for the time being. The beans did not have a chance to grow now, with the result that this cultivation is far behind, whilst the supply should have started again already. With mangetout and sugar snaps completely new sowing is necessary before there is good product, therefore I am afraid that it will be at least July before the fresh supply is available," Harry continues. "In the meantime the rain storms are becoming less severe, but the damage is extensive and repairs will take quite some time. Larger farms often control cultivation better with plastic tunnels and better irrigation, but if liquid enters the plastic tunnels then the pressure because of fungus is high with these as well."

Foir more information:
Harry Vervelde
FairFields
P.O.Box 1430
3260 AK Oud-Beijerland
Tel: +31 0186-636299
Fax: +31 0186-619673
www.fairfields.nl