Growing Tea in Vihiga

Soil suitability analysis based on Vihiga's nutrient profile

Vihiga County is well suited to Tea, scoring 90/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 5.62 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 4.5–6.5 band Tea prefers, so no lime is usually required. The main gap is nitrogen — measured at N 1.02 g/kg, P 14.8 mg/kg, K 164 mg/kg against this crop's high/medium/medium demand — so the fertilizer plan below prioritises closing that deficit. The county's predominantly clay loam soils suit Tea, which favours clay. At current prices (about KES 25/kg) and a typical 2,200 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Tea crop here can gross roughly KES 55,000 per acre.