Tobacco growing falling out of favour in Kenya

Tobacco growing in Kenya seems to be losing its appeal because of erratic weather and low returns, and a growing awareness among farmers about tobacco-related diseases, according to a Kenya Broadcasting Corporation report.

Some tobacco growers are said to be switching to other crops, including maize and sugarcane.

Partly this switch might be down to labor and, therefore, cost issues. Tobacco requires about 1,200 labour hours per acre, whereas maize requires only about 107 hours per acre.

But it might have been caused also by the increase that is said to have occurred in tobacco-related diseases and the heightened anti-tobacco campaigns that this increase has engendered in the country.