Horticultural production and marketing in Kenya : Part 3: Taita Taveta district

Third part of a study undertaken within the framework of the Food and Nutrition Studies Programme (FNSP), a Kenyan-Dutch cooperation project. The study examined the production and marketing of horticultural commodities in selected districts in Kenya. Part 3 focuses on Taita Taveta district in Coast Province. The two main areas of horticultural production in the district are the Taita Hills (tomatoes and cabbages) and the land around the Taveta springs (tomatoes, onions and bananas). The study is based on two surveys held in 1991: a farm survey, carried out among 153 households, and a trade survey, carried out among traders in three selected markets. It shows that horticulture is a major source of cash for farmers in Taita Taveta. The most important production constraints for households without horticulture are shortage of land and lack of credit facilities in Taita, and lack of irrigation facilities in Taveta. The district has a limited number of local horticultural markets, where trading conditions are far from ideal. The upgrading of market places is an important condition for further development of horticultural production and marketing in the area