Growing Coffee (Arabica) in Kericho

Soil suitability analysis based on Kericho's nutrient profile

Kericho County is well suited to Coffee (Arabica), scoring 89/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.94 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–6 band Coffee (Arabica) prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.34 g/kg), phosphorus (23.7 mg/kg) and potassium (225 mg/kg) all meet Coffee (Arabica)'s requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. Coffee (Arabica) prefers loam soils, while Kericho is largely clay, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At current prices (about KES 120/kg) and a typical 800 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Coffee (Arabica) crop here can gross roughly KES 96,000 per acre.