Growing Banana in Kakamega

Soil suitability analysis based on Kakamega's nutrient profile

Kakamega County is well suited to Banana, scoring 86/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.63 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7 band Banana prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen and potassium — measured at N 1.01 g/kg, P 14 mg/kg, K 147 mg/kg against this crop's high/medium/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Banana, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 12/kg) and a typical 7,500 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Banana crop here can gross roughly KES 90,000 per acre.