How are the new generation of growers coping with the increasingly internationalized ornamental plant market? Peter Cheserem is director at Sian Flowers, a Kenyan rose and summer flower nursery. "We research every day how to do things better or differently."
You studied in Wales and Australia. You then lived and worked in the latter country for 15 years. Was it always your dream to join the family business?
"Yes indeed. When I finished my undergraduate studies in Wales, I returned to Kenya. I was eager to get into the business. But it was different from what I had imagined. I immediately wanted to think and participate in the company, but - in retrospect - I wasn't ready for that at the time. I did get a chance to sample all the different departments in the organization: from the sales department, production and transportation, marketing, finance. That was instructive. And after a year, I knew: if I step into the company now, I'll have fewer opportunities to explore the world because of all the responsibilities. So that's what I decided to do. I went traveling, and then I started a master's program in Australia. That was a good step. Doing another degree and seeing more of the world helped me develop. It also took a little longer than planned. Indeed, instead of one year, I stayed in Australia for 15 years."
Why did you decide to return to Kenya?
"I always had the idea of still working in the family business. Around 2019, I decided to take the step back. But even that went faster than expected. In 2020, I was in Kenya for a short visit to friends. Then came corona and the borders closed. For the year and a half that followed, I was still working remotely for my Australian employer. Then I made the permanent transition to Sian Flowers."
What is it like working in a family business, together with your cousin, uncle and father?
"It makes a difference that before me, my cousin had already entered the family business. He was the first of the new generation to slowly but surely take over from my father and his father, my uncle. Then I followed. In the beginning, it was mainly: be patient. Our fathers built the company 35 years ago in a certain way, from a vision. It was good to be taken into the company by them and to learn about the different sides of our existing business. On the other hand, the world and the ornamental plant market have changed a lot compared to so many years ago. There are stricter requirements for sustainability and we no longer sell everything through the auction. That requires a new perspective. And for that, we are here, my cousin and I, as the new generation."
What is your main challenge right now?
"That is: how can we tell our story well? And not only to our customers but especially to the consumer. The people who will soon have our flowers on the table, or who will give our bouquets as gifts during Valentine's Day or Mother's Day. Our most important market is Europe. Seventy to eighty percent of our trade goes there. But in the European media, only certain parts of flower cultivation are highlighted and the positive aspects remain largely underexposed. About plant protection products the large ecological footprint. While we take so many steps to produce our flowers as sustainably as possible. And we are doing everything we can to constantly reduce our CO2 emissions. Plus: flower farms like ours provide job opportunities for people here in the area. Look: our customers know this. But the average consumer doesn't. That's why we have to tell this story. But that's not so easy."
Sian Flowers is a member of Royal FloraHolland. As an international member, do you feel part of the cooperative?
"That connection did change. In the early years of this company, everything went through the floriculture marketplace. But nowadays we mainly trade directly with our customers. That's also because customers themselves want that. They don't like it when roses they buy from us have to go to the Netherlands before they can go to their final destination. That extra handling is neither efficient nor desirable. Fortunately, Royal FloraHolland also sees this. We are in regular contact with the local office of the cooperative here in Kenya. I do feel that they listen to what we need. On the other hand, we still use the clock, for example, to investigate which customers and from which countries our products are bought. Then you suddenly see: Italy, Switzerland, France - gosh, those are also interesting markets to approach more actively. But of course it would be great if Royal FloraHolland helped us tell the story of sustainability in the floriculture sector."
What makes your international approach innovative?
"Our flowers always travel a considerable distance before they reach the consumer. But we are constantly researching how to do it better. Like via ships instead of planes. Our flowers are strong enough to last 30 days. And ships are much more tied to a particular area than planes. Around Black Friday and the holidays, many airlines won't let you in with your flowers. That's different with shipping. In short: it's better for our business and for the earth. So every day we look at how we can do things differently or better."
Source: Royal FloraHolland