Is Nairobi good for growing Potato?

Nairobi County scores 71/100 for Potato suitability (good). Soil pH is 6.85 against a preferred 4.8–6.5, nitrogen 1.1 g/kg and phosphorus 22.1 mg/kg. County rainfall is 900 mm/year against Potato's 700–1500 mm range. This is a workable match for Potato.

What fertilizer is best for Potato in Nairobi?

Base the plan on Nairobi's soil: pH 6.85 (apply lime to reach 4.8–6.5), nitrogen 1.1 g/kg and phosphorus 22.1 mg/kg. Get an exact bag-per-acre basal and top-dressing schedule free at https://shambaiq.com/app.

What soil pH does Potato need, and does Nairobi have it?

Potato grows best at pH 4.8–6.5. Nairobi averages pH 6.85, which is outside the ideal range and may need lime or sulphur.

How much can I earn from Potato per acre in Nairobi?

At roughly KES 38/kg and an expected 8,000 kg/acre, gross revenue is about KES 304,000 per acre before input costs. Use the ShambaIQ budget tool for a net figure based on your fertilizer plan.

Growing Potato in Nairobi

Soil suitability analysis based on Nairobi's nutrient profile

Quick answer

Yes, with the right inputs — Nairobi is moderately suited to Potato. Nairobi's soil (pH 6.85, near-neutral) gives Potato a suitability score of 71/100. Match fertilizer to Nairobi's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.

Nairobi County is a solid choice for Potato, with a soil-match score of 71/100. At an average pH of 6.85 the soil sits above Potato's preferred 4.8–6.5 range, which can limit uptake of phosphorus and micronutrients. The main gap is nitrogen — measured at N 1.1 g/kg, P 22.1 mg/kg, K 236 mg/kg against this crop's high/high/high demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. Potato prefers sandy loam soils, while Nairobi is largely clay loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Potato is the #77 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Nairobi County. Potato's full potential is about 8,000 kg/acre (~KES 304,000/acre at KES 38/kg), but at Nairobi's 71/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 7,100 kg/acre (~KES 269,800/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Suitability score

Soil & climate match

Factor	Nairobi soil	Potato needs	Status
pH	6.85	4.8–6.5	Adjust
Nitrogen	1.1 g/kg	min 1.2 g/kg	Low
Phosphorus	22.1 mg/kg	min 20 mg/kg	OK
Potassium	236 mg/kg	min 200 mg/kg	OK
Rainfall	900 mm	700–1,500 mm	OK
Altitude	1,700 m	1,500–3,000 m	OK

Planting calendar for Nairobi

Long Rains· March–MayMain season here

March

Planting Tubers & Basal Fertilizer (NPK)

April

Earthing Up & Top Dressing (CAN)

May

Pest Control (Blight) & Weeding

Short Rains· October–December

October

Planting & Basal Fertilizer

November

Earthing Up & Top Dressing

December

Blight Control

Dry Season· January–March

January

Harvesting & Storage

February

Land Resting

March

Seed Tuber Sprouting

Top dressing guide

Product

CAN

Timing

Week 3–4 after emergence

Instruction

Apply when plants are 15–20cm tall, before earthing up

Bags per acre in Nairobi

1.251

Nairobi's nitrogen (1.1 g/kg) is 92% of the 1.2 g/kg Potato needs, so the standard 1 bag/acre is raised to 1.25. Split it across two applications to limit leaching.

Seed varieties for Nairobi

Varieties suited to Nairobi's 1,700 m altitude and 900 mm annual rainfall — 14 of 14 potato varieties we list.

ShangiMedium/Highland

KALRO · 80-90 days · 300-350 bags/acre

Very fast cooking; high tuber density per plant.

UnicaDryland/Medium

KALRO · 90-100 days · 350-400 bags/acre

Heat tolerant; highly resistant to late blight.

TigoniHighland

KALRO · 90-100 days · 350-450 bags/acre

Late blight resistant; well adapted to cool highland conditions above 2000m.

AsanteMedium/Highland

KALRO · 85-95 days · 320-400 bags/acre

High yielding; good cooking quality; suited to medium altitude 1500-2000m.

Kenya FurahaMedium/Highland

KALRO · 90-100 days · 340-420 bags/acre

Good taste; disease tolerant; KEPHIS certified; consistent yield.

Kenya MpyaMedium/Highland

KALRO · 85-95 days · 300-380 bags/acre

New release; adapted to Central Kenya highlands; good storability.

Clone IG-70Highland

CIP/KALRO · 95-110 days · 380-460 bags/acre

Virus resistant; developed by CIP for highland Kenya; high dry matter content.

Dutch RobijnHighland

KARI-Tigoni · 90-100 days · 310-400 bags/acre

Classic highland variety released 1960s; high tuber uniformity; excellent crisping quality; tolerant to late blight; short dormancy.

Kenya BarakaHighland

KARI-Tigoni · 95-105 days · 280-320 bags/acre

Oblong/round tubers; resistant to late blight and viruses; good storability; table and chips use; released 1973.

SherekeaMedium/Highland

KARI/CIP · 90-105 days · 320-380 bags/acre

High yielding; good cooking quality; medium dormancy; suited to highlands 1400-3000m; released 2010.

LenanaHighland

CIP/KALRO · 90-105 days · 320-400 bags/acre

Late blight tolerant; PVX and PLRV tolerant; dry matter 22%; good for French fries; upper highlands; released 2017.

WanjikuHighland

CIP/KALRO · 100-120 days · 400-480 bags/acre

Extremely tolerant to PVY; late blight tolerant; dry matter 21%; French fries and crisps; 1800-3000m; released 2017.

NyotaHighland

CIP/KALRO · 90-105 days · 280-360 bags/acre

Late blight tolerant; heat tolerant; dry matter 20%; table variety; upper highlands; released 2017.

ChuluHighland

CIP/KALRO · 100-120 days · 280-360 bags/acre

Late blight and PVX tolerant; heat tolerant; dry matter 24%; table and processing; widely adapted; released 2017.

Economics

Market priceKES 38/kg

Expected yield in Nairobi7,100 kg/acre

Estimated revenueKES 269,800/acre

Adjusted for Nairobi's 71/100 suitability. Under ideal conditions Potato can reach 8,000 kg/acre (~KES 304,000/acre) — attainable here only after the climate and soil constraints below are addressed.

Preferred textureSandy Loam

Fertilizer prices

DAP

KES 3,500(6,500)

CAN

KES 2,875(5,700)

NPK 17:17:17

KES 3,275(5,600)

Urea

KES 3,500(5,500)

Lime

KES 1,500(1,800)

Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag

← Nairobi full soil report Potato farming guide →Agrovets in Nairobi →Get full advice →