What to Farm in Turkana County: Crops, Livestock and Profit
Turkana ranks 1st for donkeys and 1st for hair sheep among Kenya's counties. Below is everything the latest national figures record there.
Where Turkana Leads Kenya
Rank 1 means the biggest producer or herd among counties that report the product.
Meat goats
8.1 million animals
1st of 47 counties
23.4% of Kenya
Beef cattle
3.6 million animals
1st of 47 counties
22.0% of Kenya
Camels
1.1 million animals
2nd of 26 counties
24.6% of Kenya
Sorghum
3,951 tonnes
9th of 41 counties
4,843 ha · 0.8 t per ha · 2.0% of Kenya
Source: KNBS National Agriculture Production Report 2023 to 2024. Shares compare Turkana with all of Kenya. Counties report figures to the national team and some years swing sharply.
Crops Grown in Turkana: 2023 Figures
Area, output and yield for every crop the national report records in Turkana.
| Crop | Area (ha) | Output | Yield (t per ha) | National rank | Share of Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorghum | 4,843 | 3,951 t | 0.8 | 9th of 41 | 2.0% |
| Green grams (ndengu) | 292 | 204 t | 0.7 | 16th of 33 | 0.1% |
| Cowpeas | 318 | 215 t | 0.7 | 19th of 37 | 0.1% |
| Sweet potatoes | 145 | 2,281 t | 15.7 | 29th of 42 | 0.3% |
| Maize | 3,408 | 453 t | 0.1 | 41st 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 Turkana
Numbers kept in Turkana in 2023, ranked against other counties.
| Animal or bird | Number kept | National rank | Share of Kenya |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef cattle | 3.6 million | 1st of 47 | 22.0% |
| Meat goats | 8.1 million | 1st of 47 | 23.4% |
| Hair sheep | 6.7 million | 1st of 47 | 30.3% |
| Dairy goats | 443 | 42nd of 47 | <0.1% |
| Dairy cattle | 13 | 47th of 47 | <0.1% |
| Donkeys | 542,908 | 1st of 46 | 31.5% |
| Camels | 1.1 million | 2nd of 26 | 24.6% |
| Beehives | 17,651 | 28th of 47 | 1.1% |
| Pigs | 346 | 42nd of 43 | <0.1% |
| Rabbits | 26 | 45th of 46 | <0.1% |
| Pigeons | 129,243 | 1st of 28 | 57.3% |
| Turkeys | 7,664 | 9th of 44 | 3.2% |
| Ducks | 15,145 | 9th of 45 | 2.9% |
| Indigenous chicken | 1 million | 17th of 47 | 1.9% |
| Guinea fowl | 473 | 29th of 38 | 0.6% |
| Geese | 627 | 37th of 43 | 0.3% |
| Layers | 2,780 | 46th of 47 | <0.1% |
| Broilers | 200 | 46th of 47 | <0.1% |
When to Plant in Turkana
Kenya has long rains from March to May and short rains from late October to December. We have no settled pattern for Turkana, so plan around these two rainy periods.
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 Turkana
Output of the leading products since 2019. Bars compare years, and the dark bar is the latest.
Sorghum
Up 13% since 2019
tonnes
Cowpeas
Up 1165% since 2019
tonnes
Green grams (ndengu)
Up 35% since 2019
tonnes
Maize
Down 95% 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 Turkana
A short read on each of the five strongest products, with the numbers behind it.
Donkeys
Turkana recorded about 542,908 donkeys in 2023. That ranks 1st of 46 counties and gives 31.5% of Kenya's total. Check farm gate prices on KAMIS and ask your sub-county agricultural office about buyers.
Hair sheep
Turkana recorded about 6.7 million hair sheep in 2023. That ranks 1st of 47 counties and gives 30.3% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.
Meat goats
Turkana recorded about 8.1 million meat goats in 2023. That ranks 1st of 47 counties and gives 23.4% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.
Beef cattle
Turkana recorded about 3.6 million beef cattle in 2023. That ranks 1st of 47 counties and gives 22.0% of Kenya's total. Sell through livestock markets and traders. Ask the county livestock office for market days.
Where to Sell in Turkana
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 Turkana
- Check farm gate and wholesale prices on KAMIS. It covers five markets in every county.
- Ask the county cooperative officer which registered societies buy your product.
- Visit the buyer first. Ask for the grade, price, payment date and who pays transport.
- Start with one small delivery before you commit your harvest.
Livestock
Turkana has one of the densest livestock market networks in Kenya, per a SPARC national mapping.
Ask the county livestock or veterinary office for market names and days. Never move animals without the right permits.
Grain and pulses
National buyers and channels:
- National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depots
- Unga Group
- Pembe Flour Mills
- Mombasa Maize Millers
- Capwell Industries
- Kitui Flour Mills
Confirm grades, bag sizes and payment terms before you deliver.
Know a buyer or a market in Turkana that should be listed? Tell us on WhatsApp. Please send the business name, product, location and how farmers can sell to it.
Rain and Soil in Turkana County
Turkana is in the Northern ASALs zone of the national strategy. These notes describe the whole zone, not one farm. Parts of Turkana are in AEZ Zone V: arid land with 300 to 600 mm of rain. Other parts are in 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 Turkana’s Top Products
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What These Figures Do Not Show
Fruit and vegetables
The report has no county figures for tomatoes, avocados or onions. Check local buyers first.
Fish
Fish output is reported by lake and sea, not by county. See the fish guide.
Your ward
Soil and rain change inside a county. Ask your sub-county agricultural officer.
Your profit
Output is not profit. Run your own costs in the profit calculator.
Questions About Farming in Turkana
What crops grow best in Turkana County?
Turkana ranks 1st for donkeys and 1st for hair sheep. The biggest crop areas are sorghum (4,843 ha), maize (3,408 ha), cowpeas (318 ha).
Which livestock is common in Turkana County?
Turkana ranks 1st for pigeons, 1st for donkeys, 1st for hair sheep. The table above lists every animal and bird recorded.
Which fruits, vegetables and fish suit Turkana County?
The national report has no county figures for these. See the strategy list for Turkana above, then check local buyers and water.
What agro-ecological zone is Turkana County in?
The national strategy places Turkana 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 Turkana 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 Turkana
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Plan, Fund and Scale Your Farm in Turkana
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 Turkana: 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 Turkana 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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