Acidic soils

Africa’s Silent Crisis: Farmers Are Mining Nutrients — But Acidic Soils Make It Worse

For decades, farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa have been extracting nutrients from their soils faster than they can be replenished — degrading both soil health and fertility.

In Kenya’s farming systems, we often talk about soil fertility but do we truly understand soil health?

Soil fertility is about the soil’s ability to supply nutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) to crops. But this is just one part of the puzzle.

Soil health, on the other hand, is broader. It includes the chemical, physical, and biological qualities of the soil that sustain crop productivity and promote long-term ecosystem function.

At the center of soil health is soil organic matter which boosts nutrient cycling, water retention, microbial activity, and soil structure.

But here’s the catch Many Kenyan soils are too acidic which locks away nutrients, even when fertilizers are applied. The result? Wasted inputs, poor crop response, and declining yields.

Tested your soil yet?

The Proven Solution: CalciGrow

CalciGrow is not just a calcium fertilizer it’s a soil correction tool that:

  • Neutralizes excess soil acidity (H⁺ ions)
  • Releases locked-up phosphorus and micronutrients
  • Improves root growth, water use, and nutrient uptake
  • Enhances microbial activity for better soil biology

Whether you’re growing coffee, maize, avocados, or vegetables, CalciGrow creates the ideal pH environment for both fertilizer efficiency and soil regeneration.

Soil Health vs. Soil Fertility: Why CalciGrow is the Key to Unlocking yields

Whether you’re growing coffee, maize, avocados, or vegetables, CalciGrow creates the ideal pH environment for both fertilizer efficiency and soil regeneration.

nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) than they replace.

According to long-term studies:

Over 660 kg of nitrogen, 75 kg of phosphorus, and 450 kg of potassium per hectare have been lost across 200 million hectares in 30 years.

Cereal yields have crashed from 2–4 tons/ha to less than 1.4 tons/ha.

But here’s the deeper truth

❌ You Can’t Absorb What the Soil Won’t Release

Even when farmers replace nutrients with fertilizer, it doesn’t work in acidic soils.
Why?
Acidic pH locks nutrients in the soil — making them unavailable to crops.
Roots can’t absorb N, P, K, or even secondary nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
Fertilizer becomes a wasted investment.

CalciGrow is the proven solution to this crisis:

  • Neutralizes soil acidity by removing hydrogen ions (H⁺)
  • Unlocks nutrients trapped in acidic soils
  • Improves fertilizer efficiency and crop nutrient uptake
  • Increases yield, root development, and soil biology

Without correcting soil pH, fertilizer is just expensive dust.

Shift the Narrative: From Nutrient Mining to Soil Restoration

It’s time for a new approach.
Let’s stop blaming fertilizers and start fixing the root cause acidic, depleted soils.

With CalciGrow, farmers can restore balance, improve yields, and build long-term soil health.

Soil health

Celebrating Kenya’s Soil Champions!

Kenya’s future depends on healthy soils and thanks to passionate experts like Dr. Harun Warui, that message is finally taking center stage. Featured in the Daily Nation, Dr. Warui has been instrumental in sounding the alarm on soil degradation, a silent crisis that threatens not only our farms but our national food security

Dr. Warui lays bare the urgent challenges our soils face:

  • Nutrient depletion from years of overuse and under-replenishment
  • Soil acidity from imbalanced fertilizer use
  • Siltation and erosion that strip the land of its productive topsoil
  • And the looming threat of desertification in vulnerable regions
Dr. Harun Warui speaks out on Kenya’s soil crisis
This excerpt from the Daily Nation highlights the growing threat of soil acidity, erosion, and nutrient loss,

Source: Daily Nation | Heinrich Böll Foundation

But with awareness comes action and solutions do exist.

One such solution is CalciGrow whose benefits include;

  • Neutralizing soil acidity, allowing crops to absorb more nutrients
  • Maximizing nutrient availability
  • Optimizing NPK fertilizer and micronutrient uptake
  • Increasing moisture retention
  • Improving seed germination and plant growth
  • Enhancing pest & disease resistance

Across the country, farmers using CalciGrow are reporting healthier crops, greener leaves, and more productive harvests especially when combined with the right fertilizer blends like Fanisi fertilizer.

As we celebrate Dr. Warui’s commitment to placing soil health at the center of Kenya’s agricultural agenda, let’s also recognize the tools that are helping us take action. CalciGrow is more than just a product it’s a partner in the fight for resilient, regenerative agriculture.

Hats off to Dr. Harun Warui, and to every farmer, agronomist, and policymaker championing sustainable solutions.

The future of Kenya’s food begins with what’s beneath our feet. Let’s take care of it together.

Frequently asked questions

What is CalciGrow?

CalciGrow is a granulated ultrafine calcium mineral fertilizer responsible for higher yields in all crops, it is made up of 95% Calcium Carbonate and 5% Magnesium Carbonate.

How to use CalciGrow?

When planting, mix CalciGrow with your planting fertilizer in a 1:1 ratio. Do the same during topdressing mix CalciGrow with your topdressing fertilizer in a 1:1 ratio.

Is CalciGrow safe for the environment?

CalciGrow is an eco-friendly and sustainable fertilizer that does not harm the environment or contribute

CalciGrow: Empowering Data Driven Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture

CalciGrow: Empowering Data-Driven Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture

The #Data4SoilHealth and Scale Summit 2025, currently underway at the Hyatt Regency in Nairobi, is shining a spotlight on the urgent need to transform Africa’s agricultural landscape through innovative, data-driven solutions. At Chiromo Fertilizer Ltd, we are proud to support this mission through our flagship product, CalciGrow, a granulated calcium fertilizer designed to enhance soil structure, promote root health, and unlock sustainable yields.

As policymakers, researchers, and investors gather to explore scalable, data-centric approaches to soil health, CalciGrow emerges as a practical, science-backed solution. Its unique formulation not only neutralizes acidic soils but also improves nutrient availability, fosters soil microbial balance, and enhances water retention capacity essential elements for building climate-resilient agriculture.

Aligned with Kenya’s Agricultural Soil Management Policy 2023, CalciGrow empowers farmers to adopt responsible, regenerative practices that drive sustainable agricultural transformation. Our product’s consistent quality ensures long-lasting soil vitality, contributing to the continent’s commitment to restoring soil health and achieving food security.

As the conversation continues at the #Data4SoilHealth Summit, Chiromo Fertilizer Ltd remains dedicated to supporting farmers with actionable solutions like CalciGrow because healthy soil means healthy communities.

Frequently asked questions

What is soil health?

Soil health refers to the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. It goes beyond just soil fertility and focuses on the soil’s biological, chemical, and physical properties working together in balance. To determine your soil health its vital to do a soil test analysis

Why Soil Health Matters?

  • Supports plant growth and crop productivity
  • Improves water retention and reduces runoff
  • Stores carbon and helps mitigate climate change
  • Enhances resilience to drought and disease
  • Promotes biodiversity

How does CalciGrow help in restoring soil health?

CalciGrow soil health
Farmers who use CalciGrow don’t just feed their soil, they transform their future

1. Replenishes Calcium

  • Calcium is an essential plant nutrient, crucial for cell wall development and root growth.
  • It helps in transporting other nutrients within the plant
  • Deficiency can lead to weak plants, poor root systems, and reduced yields.

2. Rapidly neutralizes acidic soils to maximize nutrient availability

3. Increase moisture retention and seed germination

4. Increase pest resistance

5. Increase crop yields and profitability

6. Increases organic Carbon in the soil

Also read: Farmer testimonial on how CalciGrow increased his maize yield