Kisii County tea farmers have been cautioned against the use of acidic fertilisers in their farms as this will result to poor yields and also affect soil fertility.
Speaking during a soil testing program launch in Kisii township hall on Wednesday, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries CeC, Dr Evans Nyandoro, said the directive had been necessitated following concerns raised by soil experts who said the soil in the region had a very high concentration of acidity.
Nyandoro said the frequent use of the artificial acidic fertilisers in the region has concentrated the soil acidity, thus making it lose the important nutrients required for the growth of healthy tea.
He noted it was important for the farmers to take up the advice as this will guarantee a good harvest and go a long way to ensure reliable food security for residents and even surplus for exporting to other counties.
Nyandoro said the soil experts collected samples from the region and conducted the test where the acidity in the soil was said to be above the standard soil rate.
He asked farmers to use basic fertilisers such as manure from cattle and well rotten waste from the dustbins.
He recommended farmers to take their soil for testing as the county's agriculture department will be conducting soil tests workshops to sensitise farmers on the soil acidity of their farms.
The CeC said the farmers will also get information on the proper fertilisers to use and the correct way of rotation to neutralise the soil.