| dc.description.abstract | The ever .increasing role of agriculture 1n the developing
countries led the researcher to carry out a study on the socioeconomic implications of miraa cultivation in Nyambene district.
This work dealt with the roles of agriculture in development and
the impact of miraa cultivation on the development of Igembe
Division. It is intended to develop a background database for
consideration in policy discussions on miraa and development. It
will also be useful to other scholars as a basis for future
research in this field which has been granted very little
research attention.
The main objectives of the study were to examine the socioeconomic implications of miraa cultivation in Igembe division, to
assess the relationship between miraa production, education
levels, and food production. It also deals with the problems
facing miraa farmers and the methods of resolving these problems.
Stratified sampling was used
to be studied whereas systematic
to identify tile sub-locations
random sampling was used to
select the households to which questionnaires were to be
administered. A total of 60 questionnaires were administered to
five sub-locations.
Data was
(mean, median,
analyzed by use of measures of central
and modes) , frequencies Here also run in
tendency
order to
come up with the percentages. Descriptive statistics therefore,
was the major tool of analysis employed.
The study established that miraa is the main source of
income for the people of Igembe. It also established that there
are both positive and negative effects of this crop.
The study recommends for mass education on the need for
educating children, better health care standards, and also on the
need for diversification. also a great need for reinvesting the money obtained from miraa in productive ventures.
There is also need to explore for better w ay s of marketing the
produce. These have been put forward as the short term solutions
to the problems in Igembe. However, the issue of drugs in Kenya
is increasingly becoming important and something needs to be done
urgently in order to avert the impending disasters which result
from drug abuse. Drugs are major sources of income and as such
if this situation is to be averted people have to be given an
alternative. Crop substitution would be one of the ways of going
about this problem. It should be noted that as long as these
drug producing crops are easily available then no solution can be
said to have been found. Therefore, more studie s should be
carried out on the drugging effects of miraa so that these can
act as a guideline for the government in coming up with
appropriate policies for miraa.
Lastly this study recommends that the government should make
its stand on the cultivation of miraa known as the beginning
point in searching for solutions to the problems of Igembe. | |
