Growing Coffee (Arabica) in Kiambu

Soil suitability analysis based on Kiambu's nutrient profile

Kiambu County is well suited to Coffee (Arabica), scoring 88/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.28 — moderately acidic and inside the 5–6 band Coffee (Arabica) prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen and potassium — measured at N 1.01 g/kg, P 13.7 mg/kg, K 169 mg/kg against this crop's high/medium/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. Coffee (Arabica) prefers loam soils, while Kiambu 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.