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Ethiopia’s herbal high struggles after foreign ban

Some farmers had switched to khat from crops like coffee or maize, because khat can be harvested year-round and previously fetched stable prices at the market.

Kadija Yusuf, surrounded by her chest-high bushes, says she preferred khat farming since it needs less water than coffee.

“There was not enough water, so I started growing khat,” Kadija said. “If they don’t allow us to export… we will stop this and return to coffee.”

Her earnings were low — about $38 (28 euros) in a good month — and she worries that her income will now drop further.

With prices falling it is cheaper to chew, but critics say that for those hooked on the leaves, the habit squanders their cash and time.

“When you chew khat you focus, you read a lot,” said Adil Ahemmed, sitting on the floor surrounded by friends and piles of khat stalks, while coffee beans roasted over a flame.

But he calls chewing a “social addiction”, and admits it is draining his money.

He spends about six euros a day on the plant, about 90 percent of his earnings as a computer technician.

“Economically it damages us,” Adil said, his cheek packed with leaves, swollen like a hamster. “That’s the biggest problem, especially for youth.”

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