What to Farm in Wajir County: Crops, Livestock and Profit

County guideNorthern ASALs zone2023 figures

What to Farm in Wajir County: Crops, Livestock and Profit

Wajir ranks 1st for camels and 2nd for meat goats among Kenya's counties. Below is everything the latest national figures record there.

Wajir County on the map of Kenya
14farm products recorded
4where Wajir is in the top 10
1stbest national rank
Northern ASALsstrategy farming zone

Where Wajir Leads Kenya

Rank 1 means the biggest producer or herd among counties that report the product.

Other livestock

Camels

1.2 million animals

1st of 26 counties

28.2% of Kenya

Cattle, sheep and goats

Meat goats

3 million animals

2nd of 47 counties

8.7% of Kenya

Cattle, sheep and goats

Hair sheep

2.1 million animals

3rd of 47 counties

9.7% of Kenya

Cattle, sheep and goats

Beef cattle

749,849 animals

4th of 47 counties

4.6% of Kenya

Poultry

Indigenous chicken

486,719 birds

36th of 47 counties

0.9% of Kenya

Poultry

Layers

19,350 birds

38th of 47 counties

0.3% of Kenya

Source: KNBS National Agriculture Production Report 2023 to 2024. Shares compare Wajir with all of Kenya. Counties report figures to the national team and some years swing sharply.

Crops Grown in Wajir: 2023 Figures

Area, output and yield for every crop the national report records in Wajir.

CropArea (ha)OutputYield (t per ha)National rankShare of Kenya
Cowpeas62109 t1.823rd of 37<0.1%
Sorghum380324 t0.926th of 410.2%
Maize7225 t0.347th of 47<0.1%

Yield is output divided by area. Coffee is the 2022 to 2023 crop year. Sugar, tea and cotton show processed output.

Livestock and Poultry Kept in Wajir

Numbers kept in Wajir in 2023, ranked against other counties.

Animal or birdNumber keptNational rankShare of Kenya
Meat goats3 million2nd of 478.7%
Hair sheep2.1 million3rd of 479.7%
Beef cattle749,8494th of 474.6%
Dairy cattle3746th of 47<0.1%
Dairy goats3247th of 47<0.1%
Camels1.2 million1st of 2628.2%
Beehives2,35945th of 470.1%
Rabbits1246th of 46<0.1%
Broilers11,90433rd of 470.2%
Indigenous chicken486,71936th of 470.9%
Layers19,35038th of 470.3%

When to Plant in Wajir

Wajir is in a two-season area. Two seasons. Long rains: plant March to April, harvest July to August. Short rains: plant September to October, harvest December to January.

Blocks show the usual months.

Source: FEWS NET Kenya country book, citing a 2024 Ministry of Agriculture official. Rain onset is erratic, so planting can stretch from March to May. Windows suit crops of 4 to 7 months. Altitude changes the pattern inside a county, so ask your sub-county agricultural officer.

Five-Year Trends in Wajir

Output of the leading products since 2019. Bars compare years, and the dark bar is the latest.

Sorghum

Down 35% since 2019

tonnes

Cowpeas

Up 336% since 2019

tonnes

Maize

Down 92% since 2019

tonnes

Source: KNBS National Agriculture Production Report 2023 to 2024. Counties report these figures and they can swing from year to year. Read the direction, not one year.

The Main Products in Wajir

A short read on each of the five strongest products, with the numbers behind it.

Camels

Wajir recorded about 1.2 million camels in 2023. That ranks 1st of 26 counties and gives 28.2% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.

Other leading counties: Turkana, Mandera, Garissa.

Meat goats

Wajir recorded about 3 million meat goats in 2023. That ranks 2nd of 47 counties and gives 8.7% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.

Other leading counties: Turkana, Mandera, Kitui.

Hair sheep

Wajir recorded about 2.1 million hair sheep in 2023. That ranks 3rd of 47 counties and gives 9.7% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.

Other leading counties: Turkana, Narok, Garissa.

Beef cattle

Wajir recorded about 749,849 beef cattle in 2023. That ranks 4th of 47 counties and gives 4.6% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.

Other leading counties: Turkana, Narok, Garissa.

Indigenous chicken

Wajir recorded about 486,719 indigenous chicken in 2023. That ranks 36th of 47 counties and gives 0.9% of Kenya's total. Check farm gate prices on KAMIS and ask your sub-county agricultural office about buyers.

Other leading counties: Migori, Homa Bay, Kitui.

Where to Sell in Wajir

Buyers, factories and markets to check first. Each one is a lead, not a promise.

Confirm before delivering. Every name here is a lead from a research directory compiled on 8 November 2026. Operators, catchments and rules change. We have not checked each one.

How to find a buyer in Wajir

  1. Check farm gate and wholesale prices on KAMIS. It covers five markets in every county.
  2. Ask the county cooperative officer which registered societies buy your product.
  3. Visit the buyer first. Ask for the grade, price, payment date and who pays transport.
  4. Start with one small delivery before you commit your harvest.

No named buyers yet

Our directory has no verified outlet for Wajir. That does not mean there are none. Use the steps below to find them.

Livestock

No named livestock market is in our directory for Wajir yet.

Ask the county livestock or veterinary office for market names and days. Never move animals without the right permits.

Know a buyer or a market in Wajir that should be listed? Tell us on WhatsApp. Please send the business name, product, location and how farmers can sell to it.

Priority Value Chains in Wajir

The national strategy backs these products in Wajir. Open a guide to see how each one is farmed.

Also listed for Wajir in the national strategy

Horticulture, Beef, Poultry.

Rain and Soil in Wajir County

Wajir is in the Northern ASALs zone of the national strategy. These notes describe the whole zone, not one farm. Parts of Wajir are in AEZ Zone VI: very arid land with 200 to 400 mm of rain.

Crops the zone favours
Mostly pastoralism, with some maize on raised plateaus.
Livestock and fish
Camels, goats and sheep.
Rain and soil
One season of rain at best. Sandy, salty, low-fertility soils.
Farming households
About 0.4 million farming households
Typical rainfall
under 200 to 600 mm
Typical farm size
Group ranches
Typical household income
under KES 10,000 a month

Income, farm size and rainfall are 2019 strategy estimates. Read the AEZ guide to see how zones are set.

Test the Profit of Wajir’s Top Products

Pick a product. See revenue, costs and break-even for your acreage in seconds.

What These Figures Do Not Show

1

Fruit and vegetables

The report has no county figures for tomatoes, avocados or onions. Check local buyers first.

2

Fish

Fish output is reported by lake and sea, not by county. See the fish guide.

3

Your ward

Soil and rain change inside a county. Ask your sub-county agricultural officer.

4

Your profit

Output is not profit. Run your own costs in the profit calculator.

Questions About Farming in Wajir

What crops grow best in Wajir County?

Wajir ranks 1st for camels and 2nd for meat goats. The biggest crop areas are sorghum (380 ha), maize (72 ha), cowpeas (62 ha).

Which livestock is common in Wajir County?

Wajir ranks 1st for camels, 2nd for meat goats, 3rd for hair sheep. The table above lists every animal and bird recorded.

Which fruits, vegetables and fish suit Wajir County?

The national report has no county figures for these. See the strategy list for Wajir above, then check local buyers and water.

What agro-ecological zone is Wajir County in?

The national strategy places Wajir in the Northern ASALs zone. Our AEZ guide explains how zones, rain and soil shape what you can grow.

How do I work out profit in Wajir County?

Open the farm profit calculator, choose your product, then enter your acres, yield and local price.

Does this cover my sub-county or ward?

No. The national figures stop at county level. Soil and rain change across a county, so ask your sub-county agricultural officer.

Where do the figures come from?

The KNBS National Agriculture Production Report 2023 to 2024 is the source. Figures are for 2023, and coffee uses crop year 2022 to 2023.

Ask About Farming in Wajir

Tell us what you want to grow or keep. An Agcenture adviser replies on WhatsApp.

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Plan, Fund and Scale Your Farm in Wajir

Farm business plan

A costed plan for your acreage, market and cash flow. Banks and Saccos ask for one. Ask for a quote.

Finance for your farm

Learn what lenders ask for, which securities they accept and how to apply. We can help you prepare.

County agribusiness brief

For banks, programmes, investors and county teams. A short paid brief on Wajir: products, buyers, risks and gaps.

About This Page

Updated 8 November 2026. Production figures are 2023 data from the national report. Buyer and season notes were compiled on the same date.

How we made this page

County output, area and rank come from the KNBS National Agriculture Production Report 2023 to 2024. Rank compares Wajir with the counties that report the product. Yield is output divided by area. Trend charts use the same report’s five-year tables.

Planting seasons follow the FEWS NET Kenya country book, which cites a 2024 Ministry of Agriculture official. Zone details come from the 2019 national strategy (ASTGS), explained in our AEZ guide.

Buyer names come from four sources. One is third-party research for Agcenture. The others are the Coffee Directorate Year Book, Brookside’s supplier page and the Kenya Dairy Board register. Prices come from KAMIS. We have not verified each buyer. Tell us if something is wrong.

Written and maintained by the Agcenture editorial team. Report a correction on WhatsApp.

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