Growing Coffee (Arabica) in Elgeyo Marakwet

Soil suitability analysis based on Elgeyo Marakwet's nutrient profile

Elgeyo Marakwet County is well suited to Coffee (Arabica), scoring 83/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. At an average pH of 6.27 the soil sits above Coffee (Arabica)'s preferred 5–6 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. Nitrogen (1.39 g/kg), phosphorus (22.2 mg/kg) and potassium (213 mg/kg) all meet Coffee (Arabica)'s requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Coffee (Arabica), which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 120/kg) and a typical 800 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Coffee (Arabica) crop here can gross roughly KES 96,000 per acre.