Kenya's agriculture sector is facing a significant challenge with 63 percent of the country's arable land being acidic. Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Mutahi Kagwe, has called on farmers to conduct soil tests before purchasing fertiliser. This appeal was made during the launch of the Soilfer national soil health drive at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) Kabete campus. The launch also saw the unveiling of the National Soil Partnership, the National Soil Laboratory Network, and the rollout of the Global Soil Doctors Programme.
Mutahi Kagwe highlighted that about seven million acres of Kenya's arable land are strongly acidic. He explained that soil testing enables farmers to select fertiliser that matches the specific nutrient needs of their fields, preventing wasteful spending on inputs that do not boost yields. The Cabinet Secretary also shared his personal experience of buying commonly used fertiliser, only to discover through a soil test that his land already had excess nutrients and deficiencies that had been ignored.
The use of inappropriate fertiliser in acidic zones can lead to continued expenditure without the expected yield gains unless soil acidity is first addressed. Kagwe emphasised that accurate soil advice is useless if product labels are misleading, reaffirming the ministry's crackdown on counterfeit, expired, and substandard farm inputs. This move aims to ensure that farmers receive reliable information to make informed decisions about their soil and fertiliser use.
To support soil testing, the ministry has refurbished KALRO's Soil Chemistry Laboratories in Kabete at a cost of Sh220 million. The upgrade is intended to speed up the delivery of soil test results to farmers. KALRO has been directed to continue analysing roughly 77,000 soil samples from 45 counties and to publish county-level soil fertility maps for public use.
The ministry plans to link soil test outcomes to the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS). This will enable future subsidy allocations to reflect the specific needs of each farm. By doing so, the government aims to provide targeted support to farmers, enhancing the effectiveness of agricultural interventions.
County governments have been urged to co-finance soil testing services and bring them closer to farming communities. The Cabinet Secretary also encouraged the greater use of lime and organic matter to remediate acidic soils. This approach can help improve soil health, increasing crop yields and reducing the environmental impact of farming practices.
Mutahi Kagwe concluded by urging farmers to treat soil as a generational asset, to test it before planting, and to purchase inputs that truly meet their land's needs. By adopting these practices, farmers can improve soil health, increase productivity, and contribute to the country's agricultural development.
Key points
- 63 percent of Kenya's arable land is acidic.
- The ministry plans to link soil test outcomes to the Kenya Integrated Agricultural Management Information System (KIAMIS).
- The Cabinet Secretary urged county governments to co-finance soil testing services.
