Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: November | Volume: 12 | Issue: 11 | Pages: 255-262
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20221133
Cash Crop Farming Among Small Scale Tea Farmers and its Contribution to Food Security of Households in Vihiga County, Kenya
Callen Kerubo Onchwari1, Peter Chege2, Regina Kamuhu3
1MSc Student, 2Senior Lecturer Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi
3Lecturer, Department of Food, Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenyatta University, P.O. Box 43844-00100 Nairobi
Corresponding Author: Callen Kerubo OnchwariXYZ
ABSTRACT
Tea farming is common in Kenya, and most of it is produced by smallholder farmers. Further, there is very minimal data currently on the food security status among households of small-scale tea farmers in Kenya. This study investigated smallholder tea farmers' household food security status in Vihiga County, Kenya. The study adopted a cross-sectional analytical study. A Multistage sampling technique was employed in this study, and a sample of 310 was considered. In the first stage, Vihiga County was purposively selected, while the respondents were randomly selected. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and means, were used to describe the data. Most people had 3 acres of land (45.5%), while (3.1%) had more than 6 acres. Cash crops took the highest portion of their land. Most households (49.0%), focusing on children under five, consumed four food groups daily. The DDS was low (4.5 ± 2.1), with only about 15% meeting the minimum requirements for dietary diversity, meal frequency, and adequate diet, while most households >90% took cereals, pulses, vegetables, sugar, and fat. The production from tea was low (104.3 ± 24.7) kg while the income from tea was not reliable, with a kg being paid at 18 KES. However, most of the tea-based income was not used to access food. Most of the tea-based income was not used to access food. The production from tea was low (104.3 ± 24.7) kg while the income from tea was unreliable. Men controlled the tea and any other income, with a few drinking the proceeds. Consumption of cereals, pulses, vegetables, and chicken was okay. However, the consumption of the other food groups was low. The study recommends the empowerment of women so that they make decisions on food production, income, and use and further the review of tea pay policy to ensure payment that is commensurate with input as well as more sensitization of mothers on more allocations of funds to the food use of the available funds for a diversified health diet.
Key words: Cash crop farming, Small-scale tea farmers, Food security, Households