Evaluation of challenges facing industrial crops farming in the coastal region of Kenya

Abstract

Industrial crops are grown to produce goods to be used in the production sector, rather than food for consumption. Industrial crops impact the economy by providing a product which lessens the need for imports. Industrial crop is a designation given to an enterprise that attempts to raise farm sector income, and provide economic development activities for rural areas. Industrial crops also attempt to provide products that can be used as substitutes for imports from other nations. The Kenyan Coast Region is comprised of six counties namely, Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu and Taita Taveta. Overall, farmers in Coast Region earned 7.8 billion shillings from various crops in 2010. Yet it is known that the opportunities to earn a lot more are enormous. Hence need for the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Water together with the Coast Province leadership must devise ways and means to harness the unutilized potential for the benefit of the people of this region. The general objective of the study was to evaluate the challenges facing industrial crops farming in the coastal region of Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the industrial crops available in the coastal region, assess key requirements to successful industrial crop farming, conduct comparative analysis and identify the gap in industrial crop farming and finally assess interventions to industrial crop farming at the coastal region. The study adopted descriptive research design. The target population consisted of six categories of farmers of bixa, cashew nut, coconut, cotton, mango and jatropher who were selected from a list that was obtained from District Agricultural Offices and using both stratified and random sampling methods where the sample was drawn from. The data collected were analysed using descriptive techniques which were conducted with help of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences. Conclusions and recommendations were drawn based on the analysis and interpretation of data collected which includes; government issuing title deeds to the farmers for land ownership, strengthening farmers cooperative societies for marketing of farmers produce, improve farmers participatory in research innovations and create awareness to certification