Kenya’s floriculture sector is fighting to maintain its global competitiveness as flower growers grapple with increasingly aggressive fungal diseases, higher production standards from export markets, and intensifying competition from regional producers such as Ethiopia and emerging markets.
Powdery mildew and botrytis, two fast-spreading fungal diseases, are now among the biggest threats to Kenya’s rose farms, driving up losses and putting pressure on exporters struggling to meet stringent European retail requirements.
In response to these mounting challenges, Corteva Agriscience Kenya has introduced the first fungicide in the country powered whose novel technology designed specifically for use on roses.
The product marks a major scientific advancement for Kenya’s horticulture industry, which contributes more than Ksh 150 billion annually and supports over 500,000 jobs.
“Kenyan growers are under pressure to deliver top-grade flowers even as disease pressure and market standards rise. The launch of Adavelt™ technology is part of our long-term investment in strengthening farmer resilience and safeguarding Kenya’s leading position in global floriculture,” said Charles Mutema, Business Lead at Corteva Agriscience.
The registration of Verpixo® 100 SC highlights Kenya’s growing role as a regional testbed for global agricultural technologies.
For the floriculture sector, a mainstay of Kenya’s export economy, such innovations are becoming essential to defend market share and support farmers facing climate variability, pest dynamics, and tightening environmental regulations in international markets.
John Njenga, Scheme Manager at Kenya Flower Council noted: “As the Kenya Flower Council, we welcome this milestone for the sector. Kenya being selected as the first country in Africa to access this technology underscores the strength of our floriculture industry and its importance to global markets.
“A product specifically developed for flowers, especially one that tackles persistent threats like powdery mildew ,is a timely and critical boost for growers working hard to maintain our export leadership.”
At the core of Verpixo® 100 SC is Florylpicoxamid, a novel active ingredient with a unique mode of action (FRAC Group 21). It provides strong, reliable protection against powdery mildew and botrytis — diseases responsible for significant quality downgrades, crop losses, and costly rejections in export markets.
With no known cross-resistance, the new fungicide offers farmers a sustainable solution to manage disease pressure while slowing the development of resistant strains.
Farmers adopting the new solution stand to benefit from higher-quality, export-ready roses that meet increasingly strict global standards, while significantly reducing losses from fungal attacks that erode profitability.
The fungicide’s unique mode of action supports sustainable resistance management, helping preserve the long-term effectiveness of crop protection solutions. Importantly, the improved reliability and predictability in disease control give growers greater confidence in planning and investment, enabling them to protect their livelihoods even as market conditions tighten.