Growing Pineapple in Busia

Soil suitability analysis based on Busia's nutrient profile

Busia County is well suited to Pineapple, scoring 91/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.29 — moderately acidic and inside the 4.5–6.5 band Pineapple prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is potassium — measured at N 0.91 g/kg, P 16.6 mg/kg, K 175 mg/kg against this crop's medium/low/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. Pineapple prefers sandy loam soils, while Busia is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Pineapple is the #3 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Busia County. At current prices (about KES 35/kg) and a typical 25,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Pineapple crop here can gross roughly KES 875,000 per acre.