Agriculture
Kenya Coast Portal
Section:
Reviews
Category:
Agriculture & Animal Husbandry
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Number of pages:
27
Year of publication:
2000
Print title:
Waaijenberg H. (2000). Agriculture. In Hoorweg J., Foeken D. & Obudho R. eds. Kenya Coast Handbook: Culture, resources and development in the East African littoral. (pp.175-195). Hamburg: LIT Verlag.
For reference purposes, cite the following link:
https://www.ascleiden.nl/kenya-coast/reviews/waaijenberg/agriculture
Summary/abstract:
Coast Province is characterised by large expanses of semi-arid and almost empty wilderness and small areas of densely populated agricultural land. Dominant crops in terms of area, yield and value are maize, cassava, tomato, citrus, mango, banana, coconut and cashew which are widespread and grown by many farm households. Other crops that are of localised importance are sisal, rice, common beans, pineapple and bixa. The history and performance of the individual crops are discussed in detail. Considerable differences in agriculture exist between districts as shown by the farming systems in the Lower Tana area, the Kaloleni Uplands and the Taita Hills. Variations also exist between nearby areas and between farms in the same area, exemplified by four villages in the Kaloleni Uplands.
The agricultural potential of Coast Province is limited. Low agricultural potential and high population density (in the high potential areas) make it difficult to gain a living by farming. Although farmers are resourceful in their cultivation methods and in the pool of genetic plant materials they maintain, most areas now experience food deficits and off-farm employment is the major supplier of additional maize and stability. It is important that farming systems are allowed to maintain their flexibility in the future. A major challenge, however, lies outside the farm and production as such, and consist of the difficulty of efficient marketing of agricultural produce given the dispersed settlement of producers.