Growing Sugarcane in Kakamega

Soil suitability analysis based on Kakamega's nutrient profile

Kakamega County is well suited to Sugarcane, scoring 82/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.63 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.5–7 band Sugarcane 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 Sugarcane, which favours loam. At current prices (about KES 5/kg) and a typical 27,000 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Sugarcane crop here can gross roughly KES 135,000 per acre.