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 Social and economic developments during the colonial period in Kenya

Settler crop cultivation in Kenya and reasons why Africans in Kenya were not allowed to grow coffee before 1937

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Answer Text:
Settler Crop cultivation in Kenya
The main crops cultivated were coffee, wheat, tea and sisal.
1) Coffee.
Coffee was first introduced by the Roman Catholic Fathers of St. Austin’s Mission near Nairobi in 1889. It required plenty of farm inputs in terms of chemicals and labour,
therefore was a preserve of wealthy European settlers.
Coffee Planters Corporation was founded in 1908 by Lord Delamere’s Efforts, and led to the spread in the growing of coffee.
Africans were unfortunately not allowed to grow coffee until 1937
Reasons why Africans in Kenya were not allowed to grow coffee before 1937.
a) Europeans wanted to continue getting cheap African labour for their farms.
b) European settlers did not want to compete with Africans in coffee growing. They feared that it would limit market for their produce.
c) The settlers claimed that Africans did not have knowledge of growing coffee.
d) They feared that diseases would spread from African farms to settler plantations.
e) European settlers claimed that African farmers would produce low quality coffee due to inadequate resources.


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