Growing Groundnuts in West Pokot
Soil suitability analysis based on West Pokot's nutrient profile
Yes — West Pokot is well suited to Groundnuts. West Pokot's soil (pH 6.04, slightly acidic) gives Groundnuts a suitability score of 94/100. Match fertilizer to West Pokot's nitrogen and phosphorus levels for the best result.
West Pokot County is well suited to Groundnuts, scoring 94/100 on ShambaIQ's soil-match model. Local soils average pH 6.04 — slightly acidic to near-neutral and inside the 5–7 band Groundnuts prefers, so no lime is usually required. Nitrogen (1.67 g/kg), phosphorus (24.8 mg/kg) and potassium (211 mg/kg) all meet Groundnuts's requirements, so a maintenance fertilizer programme is enough. The county's predominantly sandy loam soils suit Groundnuts, which favours sandy. On ShambaIQ's soil-match model, Groundnuts is the #3 soil match of the 106 crops we assess for West Pokot County. At current prices (about KES 90/kg) and a typical 500 kg/acre yield, a well-managed Groundnuts crop here can gross roughly KES 45,000 per acre.
Soil & climate match
| Factor | West Pokot soil | Groundnuts needs | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| pH | 6.04 | 5–7 | OK |
| Nitrogen | 1.67 g/kg | min 0.5 g/kg | OK |
| Phosphorus | 24.8 mg/kg | min 12 mg/kg | OK |
| Potassium | 211 mg/kg | min 150 mg/kg | OK |
| Rainfall | 1,000 mm | 500–1,400 mm | OK |
| Altitude | 1,500 m | 0–1,800 m | OK |
Top dressing guide
West Pokot's nitrogen reads 1.67 g/kg, but the rate stays at zero: Groundnuts is not top-dressed, for the crop-specific reason above.
Seed varieties for West Pokot
Varieties suited to West Pokot's 1,500 m altitude and 1,000 mm annual rainfall — 1 of 2 groundnuts varieties we list.
Economics
Fertilizer prices
Green = subsidized · (Commercial) per 50kg bag