Andrew Kartende

Floricultural products are Uganda’s third-largest non-traditional export after gold and fish, earning the country approximately $30 million in foreign exchange in 2018. Europe, where most of the exports are taken, had become the epicenter of COVID-19 as new deaths and cases superseded those of China. New measures in this key source market included lockdowns travel restrictions, and flight cancellations had seen the flower sector wilting and fast. But since most flowers are being produced in East and Southern Africa, it is here where the impact of COVID-19 was felt the most.

Cutting and rose companies in Uganda employ over 10,000 people. 80% of these were home in light of the unforeseen lockdown and business interruption. Wagagai Limited had 530 workers of the total 2,000 quarantined at the farm in Lwaka,kasenyi. The company purchased mattresses and mosquito nets so that workers had a place to sleep. Meals and other basic facilities were also put in place for the employees. This way, at least some of the production could continue.

Cutting companies and rose growers paid employees their normal wages for April hoping they would be able to return to work after April. But the president ordered an extra 21 days of total lockdown while the outbreak also continued to control economic life in Europe, this has had a huge impact on the floriculture industry especially on the farmers at the beginning of supply chains. The 'Wilt" photo story gives an insight into the life at horticultural farms amid the global pandemic.