Benefits Of Chat (Khat (Chata Edulis)

Khat (Chata edulis)

Khat is an evergreen perennial shrub that belongs to the Celastraceae family. It might have been originated in Ethiopia and spread to the Arabian Peninsula in the 15th century (Dhaifalah. 2004). It is widely produced and consumed in eastern Africa and some parts of the southwest Arabia, and Madagascar (Pantelis et al.1989). It has various vernacular names, i.e, Khat (English and Arabic,) Jimaa (Oromiffaa ), Chat (Amharic) and Miraa in Kenya (Kiswahili). It prefers well-drained fertile soil with mild climatic conditions and grows up to 7 meters though it can reach up to 25 meters (Dechassa. 2001). In Ethiopia Khat grows well within the altitudinal range of 1500 - 2100 m and has no definite planting and harvest time (Klingele,

These are the drivers behind increment of khat plantation at the expense of coffee in some places. Moreover, khat needs fewer inputs, can be planted on less fertile or marginal lands (low competition with food crop), resistant to pest, and provides a number of additional benefits like wood for fuel and medicinal value. Khat requires less land but brings much higher household income per unit area of land. For instance, Khat planted on 13% of the cultivated land accounts for 30-50% of the household income and 40-60% of the farm household food (Anderson et.al, 2007). Most farmers in Madagascar grow Khat alongside the food crops but on marginal lands and produce food crops on more fertile lands (Gezon.

It's addictive power force the consumers to allocate the indispensable portion of household income for its purchase. The financial burden and other undesirable social effects due to misbehaves are often felt within the family (Abdulwaheb and Muche. 2007.

• Biodiversity loss

Land use types under perennial crops generally exhibit more species diversity than lands under annual crops. Coffee plots have the highest species diversity than Khat and eucalyptus perhaps due to the shade trees in the coffee farms. The expansion of Khat and eucalyptus may lead to a reduction in biodiversity in the areas where these crops compete with each other (Taye, Hylanderb, Sileshi. 2017).

• Health