Growing Cashew Nuts in Kakamega

Soil suitability analysis based on Kakamega's nutrient profile

Kakamega County is a challenging environment for Cashew Nuts (soil-match score 8/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 5.63 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Cashew Nuts prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is potassium — measured at N 1.01 g/kg, P 14 mg/kg, K 147 mg/kg against this crop's low/low/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. Cashew Nuts prefers sandy soils, while Kakamega is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At 1500 m, the county sits above Cashew Nuts's preferred altitude ceiling of 500 m, where frost risk and cold nights reduce the crop's productivity. Cashew Nuts's full potential is about 900 kg/acre (~KES 247,500/acre at KES 275/kg), but at Kakamega's 8/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 90 kg/acre (~KES 24,750/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.