Growing Macadamia in Kakamega

Soil suitability analysis based on Kakamega's nutrient profile

Kakamega County is well suited to Macadamia, scoring 80/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.63 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 4.5–6.5 band Macadamia 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 medium/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Macadamia, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 110/kg) and a typical 1,800 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Macadamia crop here can gross roughly KES 198,000 per acre.