Growing Cotton in Kilifi

Soil suitability analysis based on Kilifi's nutrient profile

Kilifi County is well suited to Cotton, scoring 79/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.24 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5.8–8 band Cotton prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is phosphorus and potassium — measured at N 0.8 g/kg, P 11 mg/kg, K 109 mg/kg against this crop's medium/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing those deficits. Cotton prefers clay soils, while Kilifi is largely sandy loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At current prices (about KES 68/kg) and a typical 900 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Cotton crop here can gross roughly KES 61,200 per acre.