The Government has launched a national soil sampling exercise across 45 counties to develop a digital soil map that will guide farmers on specific fertilizer requirements.
The initiative, carried out under the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) program, is supported by The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO), which is providing technical training for the exercise.
“This exercise is essential for determining soil health, enabling farmers to identify the most appropriate fertilizers for their crops,” said Dr. Paddy Likhayo, Managing Director of the Food Crops Research Institute, during a training session in Kitale.
The training targets agripreneurs and ward extension officers who will assist in soil sampling across selected farms in each of the counties.
“Healthy soil contains all the necessary components for high agricultural productivity, which is critical for food and nutritional security in the country,” added Dr. Likhayo.
The Assistant Director of Livestock at KALRO Dr. Elkana Nyambati highlighted declining soil fertility as a significant challenge affecting agricultural productivity nationwide.
Dr. Nyambati noted that the exercise aims to collect 77,000 soil samples, with sampling points determined by variations in soil types across the counties.
“After sampling, the soil will be analyzed, and the findings will be used to create a digital soil map showing key components such as pH, phosphorus levels, and other soil nutrients in each ward,” he explained.
The data will also help establish a national soil database to inform government policies on fertilizer use and nutrient requirement inneach ward.
Dr. Mary Koech, a soil scientist at the Food Crop Research Institute in Kitale and leader of the Western Cluster for this exercise, stated that the cluster covers six counties: Trans Nzoia, Bungoma, West Pokot, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, and Uasin Gishu.
“For years, farmers have relied on blanket fertilizer recommendations, which often lead to poor results because the soils are highly varied,” said Dr. Koech.
The Trans Nzoia County Director of AgricultureSimon Mobeemphasized the timeliness of the exercise, noting that it will guide farmers on soil amendment strategies for improved yields.
“We’ve found that much of the soil in Trans Nzoia is too acidic, which significantly hampers agricultural productivity,” he stated.