Editing Khat (section)

===Cultivation===
[[File:Khat fields in western yemen.jpg|thumb|Khat cultivation in western Yemen near [[At Tawilah]]]]
Khat has been grown for use as a stimulant for centuries in the [[Horn of Africa]] and the [[Arabian peninsula]]. There, chewing khat predates the use of [[coffee]] and is used in a similar social context. Its fresh leaves and tops are chewed or, less frequently, dried and consumed as tea, to achieve a state of euphoria and stimulation. The leaves or the soft part of the stem can be chewed with either chewing gum or fried peanuts to make it easier to chew.

In [[Uganda]], it is grown in the central region, especially in [[Kasenge]] ([[Wakiso]]), [[Butambala District]], [[Mabira Forest]], and in some parts of the western region of the country.<ref name="Kciy"/> In [[Kenya]], it is grown in [[Meru County]] and [[Embu County]].

One reason for the widespread cultivation of khat in Yemen is the high income that it provides for farmers. Some studies done in 2001 estimated that the income from cultivating khat was about 2.5&nbsp;million [[Yemeni rial]]s per hectare, while fruits brought only 0.57&nbsp;million rials per hectare. Between 1970 and 2000, the area on which khat was cultivated was estimated to have grown from 8,000 to 103,000 hectares.<ref name="encyemen">{{Cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Yemen |edition=2nd |publisher=Alafif Cultural Foundation |pages=2309–14 |year=2003 |language=ar}}{{full citation needed|date=September 2013}}<!-- Title of entry, original/transliterated titles of the book, and ISBN, please. --></ref> In 2000, according to a [[World Bank]] estimate, khat accounted for 30% of Yemen's economy.<ref name="ec" />