He noted that at least 339,000 workers were employed directly by flower farms countrywide, with hundreds of them sent home on unpaid leave at the height of the pandemic. Speaking in Naivasha after visiting farms affected by the pandemic, the CS singled out and commended Van-Den Berg for not sacking any of its employees despite the crisis. “The government has introduced various stimulus packages and released VAT (value-added tax) refunds to cushion flower farms affected by the pandemic,” he said. Agricultural Employers Association Chief Executive Wesley Siele appealed to flower farmers not to uproot the crops, as there was hope for the sector. He cited the VAT refunds and the stimulus packages as some of the measures the government had introduced to support flower farmers.

Source: Standard Digital June 18, 2020 16:11 UTC