Middle East Crisis Cripples Ugandan Flower Exports, Causes Financial Ruin

Uganda’s vibrant flower export industry is wilting under the pressure of the ongoing Middle East crisis. The conflict has crippled key air cargo pathways, drastically reducing capacity and inflating freight costs to unprecedented levels.

This disruption has created a dire situation for flower farms and exporters, forcing them to discard tonnes of perishable goods. The Uganda Flower Exporters Association (UFEA) reports a staggering 65% fall in belly-hold cargo capacity on passenger aircraft operating through Entebbe, as airlines reroute services away from Middle East hubs. This bottleneck is particularly damaging for an industry reliant on swift delivery of fresh produce to European markets.

“Confirmed shipments are being offloaded, flights are fewer, and exporters are struggling to secure space,” stated Tom Gitau, General Manager of Fresh Handling. “The available capacity for perishable exports has been severely restricted.”

Transatlantic journeys for roses and cuttings, Uganda’s primary flower exports, are now delayed by up to 48 hours due to rerouting and congestion. This leads to reduced freshness, lower auction prices, increased rejections, and mounting financial losses, with industry sources estimating millions of dollars already lost.

Compounding the capacity crunch, air freight charges have surged by nearly 40%, from $2.5 to $3.45 per kilogram. Airlines attribute this rise to increased fuel costs, war-risk insurance premiums, and longer flight paths. The situation is exacerbated by unpredictable surcharges and rising operational costs at the farm level, including more expensive imported fertilizers and agrochemicals.

This turmoil threatens to derail the industry’s recent growth, which saw export earnings rise to $68 million in 2025. The sector supports over 50,000 livelihoods, with 80% of direct employees being women. UFEA had ambitious plans to expand production and boost earnings significantly, but these aspirations are now in jeopardy.

Industry leaders are appealing to the government for intervention, proposing measures such as charter cargo flights and financial relief. Without swift action and stabilization of costs and capacity, Uganda’s floral sector, a significant foreign exchange earner, faces a bleak future.

This crisis, originating thousands of kilometres away, is impacting Uganda’s greenhouses directly, highlighting the interconnectedness of global supply chains. The future of the nation’s flower exports hinges on finding immediate solutions to this cargo crunch. https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/business/markets/flower-exports-wilt-under-middle-east-cargo-crunch-5490684