[dropcaps]Y[/dropcaps]ork Farm Zambia intends to increase its rose flower production from the current six to eight hectares to meet the high demand for the commodity.
York Farm says there is demand for flowers for both the local and export markets.
Packinghouse manager Edmund Sunkutu said in an interview that York Farm currently produces 50,000 stems per day.
Mr Sunkutu said once the tillage is increased, flower production will expand to over 80,000 stems per day.
He said York Farm is also changing the breed of flowers it grows from the super sweethearts to the intermediates.
[blockquote author=””]“The class of super sweethearts have small heads while the intermediates have larger heads and are longer in length,” he said.[/blockquote]
He said the demand for the super sweethearts has been low, while that of the intermediates has been high.
Mr Sunkutu said 80 percent of its produce is exported while only 20 percent is reserved for the local market.
He said 150 people have been employed in the rose flower section which comprises mostly packers, adding that about 20 more jobs are expected to be created once the hectares have been increased.
“Recently the response from the local market has been overwhelming mostly because the local people are appreciating our products whose prices are also fair,” Mr Sunkutu said.
