Kenya seeks support to tackle acidic soils and boost yields

Kenya is seeking support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to tackle acidic soils and boost crop yields. Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe met FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol to discuss strengthening soil health programmes, using soil data and technology in farming decisions, improving agricultural information systems, and training more soil scientists.

The partnership comes as the government addresses soil acidity, affecting about 63% of Kenya's arable land, with nearly seven million acres classified as strongly acidic. The FAO-supported SoilFER programme, running from 2023 to 2027, aims to improve fertiliser use through field data collection, laboratory testing, digital soil mapping, and farmer advisory services.

Brief written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.