ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the production of horticultural commodities in Kenya. The Kenyan climates and soils are suitable for growing a large variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Horticulture occupies eleven per cent of die total arable land, ranking third after maize cultivation, and dairy farming. By comparison, coffee and tea account for only three per cent and two per cent respectively of arable land. Most small-scale horticultural farmers focus on production for family consumption and for the domestic market. The limited number of large-scale farms in the country concentrate mainly on production for export. Horticulture has been of major importance to small-scale producers from the moment they settled in the district. Coffee and tea cannot be cultivated at this high altitude. In Taveta, the initial community was formed by refugees and immigrants from a number of population groups in the Kilimanjaro area who entered the Taveta forest seeking security and economic subsistence in the 17th century.
