Growing Cashew Nuts in Taita Taveta

Soil suitability analysis based on Taita Taveta's nutrient profile

Taita Taveta County is a challenging environment for Cashew Nuts (soil-match score 31/100) and will need significant amendment before planting. Local soils average pH 6.64 — neutral and inside the 5–7.5 band Cashew Nuts prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is potassium — measured at N 0.97 g/kg, P 12.9 mg/kg, K 104 mg/kg against this crop's low/low/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. Cashew Nuts prefers sandy soils, while Taita Taveta is largely loam, so drainage and organic-matter management matter more here. At 700 m, the county sits above Cashew Nuts's preferred altitude ceiling of 500 m, where frost risk and cold nights reduce the crop's productivity. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Cashew Nuts is the #67 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for Taita Taveta County. Cashew Nuts's full potential is about 900 kg/acre (~KES 247,500/acre at KES 275/kg), but at Taita Taveta's 31/100 suitability a realistic target here is closer to 349 kg/acre (~KES 95,975/acre) unless the constraints above are addressed.

Better matched to Taita Taveta's soil: Sorghum, Cowpeas, and Pigeon Peas — each scores higher on the same soil.