Growing Sesame (Simsim) in Kajiado
Soil suitability analysis based on Kajiado's nutrient profile
Kajiado County is well suited to Sesame (Simsim), scoring 92/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.55 — neutral and inside the 5.5–7 band Sesame (Simsim) prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (0.97 g/kg), phosphorus (20.6 mg/kg) and potassium (257 mg/kg) all meet Sesame (Simsim)'s requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Sesame (Simsim), which favours sandy. At current prices (about KES 350/kg) and a typical 180 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Sesame (Simsim) crop here can gross roughly KES 63,000 per acre.
Suitability score
Soil match analysis
| Nutrient | Kajiado soil | Sesame (Simsim) needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.55 | 5.5–7 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 0.97 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 20.6 mg/kg | min 6 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 257 mg/kg | min 100 mg/kg | OK |
Recommended seed varieties
KSS-6 (KS-S6)Lowland 200-1000m
Kenya Seed Company · 75 days · 7-9 bags/acre
Highly aromatic white seeds; high podding ability; rust & shootfly tolerant.
Economics
Market priceKES 350/kg
Expected yield180 kg/acre
Estimated revenueKES 63,000/acre
Preferred textureSandy
Fertilizer prices
DAP
KES 2,500(6,500)
CAN
KES 2,500(4,500)
NPK 17:17:17
KES 2,500(5,600)
Urea
KES 2,500(5,500)
Lime
KES 1,500(1,800)
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag