Are you searching for the best crops to grow in your county in Kenya? Kenya’s main agricultural products include maize, sugarcane, tea, coffee, and horticulture. While maize and sugarcane are mostly grown for the domestic markets, tea, coffee, and horticulture make up the country’s major exports.
These are in line with your areas’s climate, and soils to give you maximum yields. Besides, look at the available agriculture markets and infrastructure for easy marketing to sell your harvests. Those two factors can easily give you success in commercial farming in Kenya. In this post, we give you a list of the most profitable crops to grow in Kenya per county such as Meru, Nyeri, Nakuru or Kisii.
What are the best crops in Kenya?
In this post, we give you a list of top priority livestock and crop value chains in Kenya per county.
According to the Agricultural Sector Transformation and Growth Strategy (ASTGS), Kenya has over 40 agriculture value chains. They are both food and cash crops for the Kenya and export markets.
A priority value chain in your area will receive most investment and support from the government and development partners such as donors and agriculture NGOs running farming projects in your county.
Why grow the most profitable crops in Kenya?
Why is it good to invest in a top priority crop or livestock value chain in your county?
As a participant in the top agriculture value chain in your county, you will enjoy many economical and skill benefits as shown
- Enjoy subsidies from national and county government on quality fertilizer, seed. farm chemicals and other farm inputs
- Free access to agriculture extension services and other advisory services for quality yields .
- Earn higher farm incomes from organized access to agriculture market.
- Direct access to latest market information such commodity prices on time
- Enjoy crop and livestock insurance
Which are the Top priority agriculture value chains in Kenya
The best ideas to invest in Kenya are horticulture, poultry and maize farming. In other areas, dairy farming, beef production and Irish potato farming top the list.
In the list below, we give you 3-8 agriculture value chains per county in Kenya. We have used the priority areas for the Agricultural Sector Development Support Program (ASDP) a national government farming project in Kenya. The second column lists the best crops and livestock using the ASTGS prioritization process.
A further explanation is given as per county economical blocks in Kenya. These counties share almost similar agroecological features.
| COUNTY | ASDP PRIORITISED VALUE CHAINS | ASTGS PRIORITISED VALUE CHAINS |
|---|---|---|
| BARINGO | Cow Milk, Honey, Meat Goat, | Dairy, Honey, Goat Meat |
| BOMET | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Irish Potato, Maize | Potato, Horticulture, Poultry, Dairy, Maize |
| BUNGOMA | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Tomato | Horticulture, Poultry, Dairy, Tomato |
| BUSIA | Fish, Indigenous Chicken, Ground Nut | Poultry, Fish, Groundnut |
| ELGEYO MARAKWET | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Irish Potato, | Dairy, Potato, Maize, |
| EMBU | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken | Potato, Horticulture, Beef, Bananas, Dairy, Poultry |
| GARISSA | Camel Milk, Beef, Tomato, | Horticulture, Beef, Tomato, camel milk |
| HOMABAY | Fish, Indigenous Chicken, Sorghum | Poultry, Fish, Beef, Sweet potato, Sorghum |
| ISIOLO | Beef, Camel Milk, Tomato | Horticulture, Beef, Tomato, camel milk |
| KAJIADO | Beef, Cow Milk, Tomato | Beef, Dairy, Tomato |
| KAKAMEGA | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Maize, | Horticulture, Poultry, Dairy, Maize |
| KERICHO | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Tomato, | Potato, Dairy, Poultry, Fish, Passion Fruit, Tomato |
| KIAMBU | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Beef, Bananas |
| KILIFI | African Bird Eye Chilli, Cassava, Indigenous Chicken | Horticulture, Poultry, Fish, Cassava, Chilli. |
| KIRINYAGA | Banana, Cow Milk, Rice | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Rice, Bananas |
| KISII | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken | Horticulture, Poultry, Beef, Fish, Sweet Potato, Bananas, Dairy |
| KISUMU | Cotton, Fish, Indigenous Chicken, | Horticulture, Poultry, Beef, Fish, Passion Fruit, Cotton |
| KITUI | Indigenous Chicken, Sorghum, Green Gram | Horticulture, Cow peas, Green grams, Sorghum, |
| KWALE | African Bird Eye Chilli ,Indigenous Chicken, Passion Fruit, | Fish, Poultry, Chilli, Passion fruits |
| LAIKIPIA | Cow Milk, Maize, Sheep & Goats | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Maize |
| LAMU | Cashew Nut, Fish, Indigenous Chicken, | Horticulture, Poultry, Fish, Cashew nuts |
| MACHAKOS | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Mango | Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Green grams, Cow peas. Honey |
| MAKUENI | Indigenous Chicken, Mango, Green Gram | Horticulture, Cow Peas, Green grams, Poultry, Honey |
| MANDERA | Camel Milk, Meat Goat, Tomato, | Horticulture, Fish, Tomato, camel milk, Chevon |
| MARSABIT | Camel Milk, Kale, Meat Goat, | Horticulture, Beef, Fish, camel milk, Chevon, Kales |
| MERU | Cow Milk ,Indigenous Chicken, Sorghum, | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Maize |
| MIGORI | Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, Sweet Potato | Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Fish, Beef, Honey |
| MOMBASA | Fish, Indigenous Chicken, Indigenous Vegetables | Horticulture, Fish, Poultry, Rice, Palm oil, Vegetables |
| MURANGA | Cow Milk, French Beans, Mango, | Horticulture, Dairy, Bananas, Snow peas |
| NAIROBI | Broiler, Cow Milk, Kales | Maize, Dairy, Poultry, Sukuma wiki |
| NAKURU | Cow Milk, Fish ,Pyrethrum, | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Beef, Maize, Rice, Fish, Pyrethrum |
| NANDI | Cow Milk, Fish, Maize, Indigenous Chicken, | Potato, Horticulture, Beef, Dairy, Poultry, Fish, Passion fruit, Maize |
| NAROK | Beef, Cow Milk, Maize | Dairy, Potato, Beef, Maize |
| NYAMIRA | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Vegetables | Dairy, Horticulture, Bananas, Passion Fruits |
| NYANDARUA | Cow Milk, Fish, Irish Potato | Potato, Dairy, Fish |
| NYERI | Cow Milk , Irish Potato, Indigenous Chicken | Horticulture, Potato, Dairy Poultry |
| SAMBURU | Beef, Honey, Maize, | Beef. Maize, Honey |
| SIAYA | Indigenous Chicken, Fish, Mango, | Poultry, Fish, Mango |
| TAITA TAVETA | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken | Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Beef, Bananas |
| TANA RIVER | Beef, Fish ,Mango | Maize, Potato, Rice, Mango, Beef, Fish |
| THARAKA NTHI | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken | Poultry, Dairy, Green grams, Bananas, Honey |
| TRANS NZOIA | Cow Milk , Maize, Indigenous Chicken, | Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Maize, Potato, Rice |
| TURKANA | Fish, Meat Goat, Sorghum, | Beef, Fish, Maize, Potato, Rice, Fish, Sorghum, Chevon |
| UASIN GISHU | Cow Milk, Maize, Indigenous Chicken, | Potato, Horticulture, Dairy, Poultry, Passion Fruits |
| VIHIGA | Banana, Cow Milk, Indigenous Chicken, | Dairy, Poultry, Horticulture, Bananas |
| WAJIR | Camel Milk, Tomato, Water Melon | Horticulture, Beef, Camel milk, Watermelons, Poultry |
| WEST POKOT | Honey, Indigenous Chicken, Meat Goat, | Poultry, Potato, Maize, Rice, Chevon, Honey. |
Best crops and animals to grow in Kenya Northern Region Economic Block (NOREB)
The profitable crops for small farms in the North rift region are horticulture, potatoes and maize. For herders, poultry, dairy beef cattle and goats will receive most support in the area.
Rice is a priority crop in Trans Nzoia, Turkana and West Pokot counties. Fish farming in Turkana and Nandi is likely to grow. If you are in Baringo, Samburu or West Pokot, make beekeeping a priority. Turkana has sorghum as the crop for its semi-arid areas. In Uasin Gishu County, you can diversify your farm income by introducing passion fruit farming if, you are a dominant maize farmer.
Best agriculture value chains in the Kenya’s Lakes Region Economic Block (LREB)
These counties are in the Nyanza and western region around Lake Victoria. The area receives high rainfall that supports raising a variety of food and cash crops. In the ASTGS, the most viable value chains across the region are chicken farming and horticulture.
Fish farming is a priority in Homa Bay, Busia, Kericho, Kisii, Kisumu, Busia and Siaya counties. Banana farming tops in Vihiga, Nyamira and Kisii. Other value chains for you if you own land in the area are dairy, beef, mango, sweet and Irish potatoes or passion fruits as shown.
Top Agribusiness value chains and ideas in the Mt. Kenya And Aberdares Economic Block
The region is a highly productive area in the central Kenya highlands. It’s known for high production of milk, fruits, vegetable gardening in Kenya. Besides they lead in cash crop growing for export such as tea, pyrethrum and coffee.
In the report potato, dairy, poultry and horticulture farming are the most significant for the region. As a farmer in Embu, Kiambu Kirinyaga, Murang’a or Tharaka Nithi consider planting bananas. Maize farming does well in Laikipia, Nakuru and Meru. other unique ideas for the region are snow peas (Muranga), Fish farming (Nyandarua) and pyrethrum (Nakuru), rice (Kirinyaga)
Which agriculture businesses bring highest income in the Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC)
These counties are in the arid or semi-arid region of the country. They are famous for beef and camel farming. Of late, there are many ongoing plans to introduce irrigation.
Horticulture, beef and camel milk are the focus value chains for the region. Fish farming and goat keeping can perform well in Mandera and Marsabit. Wajir residents can keep chicken and grow watermelons for sale. Those in Marsabit can raise kales while Garissa, Isiolo and Mandera farmers can irrigate their farms to grow tomatoes.
What crops and animals to grow in the South-East Kenya Economic Block (SEKEB) Counties
The three counties of Kitui, Machakos and Makueni are famous for growing cowpeas and green grams. Farmers in the region can keep focusing on them according to the ASTGS. Besides, vegetable, fruit and poultry farming is a priority. If you are in Machakos and Makueni, you can plant mango trees while sorghum is a priority in Kitui. In some areas of Machakos, dairy farming is the key.
Best agribusiness opportunities in the Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) counties
Looking for the best crops to grow in Malindi, Lamu and Kwale? The coastal region is one has some of the most diverse agro-ecologic zones. Farmers can invest in horticulture, poultry and fish as the most profitable according to the ASTGS.
In Taita Taveta and Tana River counties, practice beef farming. Chilli farming can favour you if you farm in Kilifi or Kwale. Other priority crops in the region given you county are Cassava and cashew nuts. In Mombasa, county and the second-largest city, palm oil, rice and vegetables are the most profitable.
Nairobi, Narok & Kajiado
Nairobi, Kajiado and Narok counties are not part of any economic block. The area has similar weather patterns. Except for the capital city, we know the other two counties for beef, and corn growing.
In the ASTGS, the region proposes to support dairy and beef. Maize farming does well in Narok and Nairobi. Other ideas you can consider are Kales, poultry, tomato and poultry.
Conclusion
The article has given you the most profitable crops or livestock grown per county. As a farmer, use your agro-ecological zone to choose the right value chain. You can use the KAOP an innovative mobile weather App for farmers by the KALRO. It predicts each of Kenya’s ward weather accurately.
ASTGS has the latest value-chain competitiveness listing for Kenya’s agriculture. It will help business people in the farming and food industry to do the following.
- Target farmers with relevant farm inputs such as animal feed in counties which raise dairy or beef cattle.
- Buy cheap farm products from areas with the highest yields such as cowpeas from Kitui and sell them profitably in a market where it does not do well like Nyeri.
- Counties and regional economic blocks can use the information to determine their competitive advantage to speed up their economic growth and development process.
