The fallout from volcanic ash spreading throughout the European skies has reached all the way to the Kenyan floriculture market, according to a recent BBC News report.
Correspondent Will Ross reported from a flower "factory" in Kenya that thousands of farm workers in the country have been temporarily laid off because of the volcanic ash over Europe that has grounded flights. The reason? Harvesting of flowers and vegetables has had to be put on hold until the skies clear and air travel resumes.
Agriculture/horticulture is the East Africa nation's largest export sector, employing hundreds of thousands of people. The head of the Kenya Flower Council told the BBC that 3,000 metric tons (just over 2,200 pounds) of flowers have already been discarded.
The BBC News report notes that refrigerated stores at the city's airport and on farms are now completely full. The UK gets Kenya produce via Spain. Unless flights resume by Tuesday, much more produce will have to be thrown away.
Stephen Mbithi, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya, called the situation "disastrous."
"On average, we ship some 1,000 [metric tons] worth $3 million per day," he told Kenya's Daily Nation newspaper. "We have handled drought, El Nino and the post-election violence, but we have not seen anything like this."
Horticulture recently became Kenya's greatest export earner and accounts for roughly 20 percent of the economy.