Iceland volcano: Kenya's farmers losing $1.3m a day in flights chaos

[uppityperson]

Source: Guardian

Iceland volcano: Kenya's farmers losing $1.3m a day in flights chaos
5,000 workers laid off and tonnes of vegetables and flowers dumped as ash cloud engulfs Europe


Farmers in Kenya are dumping tonnes of vegetables and flowers destined for the UK, four days after the volcanic ash cloud over Europe grounded cargo shipments from Africa. Kenyan farms have laid off 5,000 staff, and growers have warned thousands more workers could be told to stay at home if flights did not resume by Tuesday, which would deal a serious blow to the country's economy.

"We usually ship 10-15 tonnes of produce every day to different parts of the world and that's come to a complete halt," said Ariff Shamji, managing director of AAA Growers in Nairobi. "By Tuesday we're going to have to make tough decisions. We can't keep having people come to work and not have any work to do."

Kenya's flower council says the country is haemorrhaging $1.3m a day in lost shipments to Europe. Kenya normally exports up to 500 tonnes of flowers daily – 97% of which is delivered to Europe. Horticulture earned Kenya 71 billion shillings (£594m) in 2009 and is the country's top foreign exchange earner...
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Farmers say they have been able to avoid avoided major losses since flights from Kenya were suspended early Thursday morning. But if they can't start shipping in earnest in the next day or two, they will have to dump much of their product. Cold stores at Jomo Kenyatta airport were full and officials told growers to load rotting product on trucks and dump it back at their farms. Some farms were throwing cut flowers straight from the field on to compost heaps

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/18/iceland-volcano-kenya-farmers

[The Blue Flower]

1. Growing flowers instead of food

I read a book by Anna Lappe about how the IMF (World Bank?) forced some of the farmers in Africa to convert from growing food for their own consumption to growing flowers for export. I wonder what happens now...?

[jwirr]

3. It was the same way in Nigeria - raising peanuts while starving.

Globalization make no sense at all. Debt forgiveness and a different attitude toward these countries is the only way to go.

[cbayer]

2. K & R. So much more tragic than having your flight delayed.

:hi:

[dipsydoodle]

4. I understand its causing problems in Brazil too.

x(

That is not to detract from the plight of the Kenyan farmers.

[uppityperson]

5. I hadn't read that. Off to search, thanks.

I don't see this as OMG THE WORLD IS ENDING but every disaster causes issues out in the world in many different ways and places.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Was mentioned on our TV news here in the UK.earlier today

:hi:

[nyy1998]

6. Wow

[zenprole]

8. Compost Neoliberalism

Hmmmm...anyone on that end being fed by all that 'wasted' food? Neoliberal reporting at its finest.

[conspirator]

9. Fuckem. I don't give a fuck about industrial farmers. They are rich enough

And the UK should grow its own fucking food too