Soil Sampling in Kenya

Sucafina in Kenya

Sucafina has been investing in the small- and medium-estate sector since the very start of our operations in Kenya in 2014. Today, we help small-estate owners mill and market their coffee with complete traceability. We also implement a wide range of sustainability measures, including GAP training, young farmer training and women’s business skills building. Read more.

The Challenge

• Farm inputs are the largest production cost for most small and medium farmers.
• Our farmer partners were previously unable to access information about the soil composition on their own farms, making it difficult to maximize yield by applying inputs with precision.

Our Approach: Soil Sampling

Soil sampling gives farmers more information about their soil, helping them reduce input costs and increase overall profitability.

• With knowledge of specific nutrient deficiencies, farmers can maximize input efficacy, lowering their production costs, increasing yields and improving their overall profitability.
• The program is simple and scalable. Soil reports are delivered from an app in real-time, so farmers can receive the report within minutes.

Sucafina also evaluated how the program could benefit more people in rural, coffee farming communities, including among the under-35 population where unemployment rates are high in Kenya.

• We train young people of working age to use the soil sampling app.
• They visit farmers and receive a commission for each sample taken.
• The goal is to eventually create full-time jobs as we expand the program to work with other crops.

How to Get Involved

It costs US $10 to conduct one soil test.

Contributions can be added as price per lb/kg or in lump sums. Speak with your trader about the best way for you to contribute.