Video: Money grows on trees in Yemen
Yemen is one of the countries producing the highest amount of Khat in the world
A khat farmer shows off his crop which he says is of the highest quality (MEE/Yousef Mawry)
Published date: 13 February 2015 03:15 GMT
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Last update: 9 years 8 months ago
The production of khat - a flowering plant that, when chewed, produces a euphoric effect - is a lifeline for many in Yemen, particularly considering the high unemployment rates and instability that continues to afflict the country.
Yousef Mawry reports for the Middle East Eye from the central province of al-Bayda which is considered to be one of the highest Khat producing sites in the world.
In the village of Maour, over 60 percent of the land is cultivated with the Khat tree.
The farmers in Maour pick the Khat in the morning and then export it to other provinces in Yemen to be sold at different prices depending on the quality of the Khat.
The average Khat farmer in this area earns up to 4000 to 5000 US dollars a month selling Khat.
Most of the inhabitants of Maour believe that Khat is not a drug. They argue that the tree has given Yemenis an opportunity to fight poverty by working in the Khat fields.
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