Country agriculture profile · Sub-Saharan Africa
Kenya
Kenyan agriculture is predominantly smallholder and rainfed, and it remains a backbone of the economy and of rural livelihoods. Farming is sharply shaped by altitude and rainfall: the cooler, wetter central highlands and Rift Valley support tea, coffee, maize and dairy, while the arid and semi-arid lowlands that make up most of the country are dominated by pastoralism. Tea and horticulture — cut flowers, vegetables and fruit — are leading export earners, whereas maize is the key food staple and a recurrent focus of food-security concern. Frequent droughts and variable rainfall make production volatile from one season to the next.
Farming systems (stable overview)
Climate zones
- Tropical coast
- Arid and semi-arid lowlands (ASALs)
- Temperate central highlands
- Equatorial (altitude-moderated)
Agroecological zones
- High-potential tea and coffee highlands
- Rift Valley cereal and dairy zone
- Arid and semi-arid pastoral rangelands
- Coastal lowland cropping
Dominant crop systems
- Smallholder rainfed maize, the dominant food staple, across the highlands and Rift Valley
- Tea grown in the cooler highlands, a leading export from both smallholders and estates
- Arabica coffee in the central highlands
- Export horticulture — cut flowers, vegetables and fruit — around the highlands and Rift Valley lakes
- Smallholder mixed cropping integrating staples, legumes and cash crops
Major livestock systems
- Extensive pastoral and agro-pastoral cattle, goats, sheep and camels in the arid and semi-arid lands
- Smallholder dairy cattle in the highlands, often zero-grazing or mixed with cropping
- Smallholder poultry and small ruminants throughout the farmed areas
Irrigation: Irrigation is limited and concentrated in public schemes (such as Mwea for rice) and in export horticulture; the great majority of cropping is rainfed and exposed to erratic rainfall, especially in the arid and semi-arid lands.
Latest verified data
Each value is the most recent available observation, shown with its own year and unit. Figures are periodically revised — treat them as dated, sourced statistics, not evergreen facts.
| Indicator | Value | Unit | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural land | 49.53 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Arable land | 11.42 | % of land area | 2023 |
| Cereal yield | 1,757.5 | kg per hectare | 2023 |
| Agriculture value added | 22.44 | % of GDP | 2024 |
| Employment in agriculture(est.) | 46.5 | % of total employment | 2024 |
| Rural population | 68.11 | % of total population | 2024 |
| Fertilizer consumption | 50.46 | kg per hectare of arable land | 2023 |
| Irrigated agricultural land | 0.96 | % of agricultural land | 2023 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Commodity market data
6,490 official observations across 56 commodities. Figures are shown on each commodity page with the unit, status and release its source published.
| Commodity | Metrics recorded |
|---|---|
| Almonds | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Avocados | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Bananas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Barley Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Black Peppercorns | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Buckwheat Grain | Imports, Import value |
| Cashew Nuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cassava Roots | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price |
| Chickpeas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cocoa Beans | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cotton Lint | Production, Beginning stocks, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Index value, Export value, Import value |
| Cottonseed | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Cowpeas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value |
| Cucumbers | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Dates | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Chillies | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dried Tobacco Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Beans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Bulb Onions | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Dry Peas | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Flaxseed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Apples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Oranges | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Pineapples | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Strawberries | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Fresh Tomatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Green Coffee | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Groundnuts | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hazelnuts | Imports, Import value |
| Head Cabbage | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Hen Eggs | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Jute Fibre | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Lentils | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Maize Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Milled Rice | Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Imports, Export value, Import value |
| Millet Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Domestic use, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Oat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Pigeon Peas | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Pistachios | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rapeseed | Imports, Import value |
| Raw Cow Milk | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Raw Wool | Production, Index value, Exports, Export value |
| Rice Paddy | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Rye Grain | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sesame Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sorghum Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Soybeans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sugarcane | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price |
| Sunflower Seed | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Sweet Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Tea Leaf | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Vanilla Beans | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Walnuts | Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Ware Potatoes | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Producer price, Exports, Export value, Imports, Import value |
| Wheat Grain | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Beginning stocks, Domestic use, Ending stocks, Exports, Feed use, Imports, Index value, Producer price, Export value, Import value |
| Yams | Area harvested, Production, Yield, Index value, Exports, Export value |
Cereal yield over time
Show data table
| Year | kg per hectare |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 1,744.8 |
| 2013 | 1,661.5 |
| 2014 | 1,583.4 |
| 2015 | 1,772.7 |
| 2016 | 1,383.1 |
| 2017 | 1,426 |
| 2018 | 1,709.2 |
| 2019 | 1,604.7 |
| 2020 | 1,842.6 |
| 2021 | 1,522.4 |
| 2022 | 1,477.4 |
| 2023 | 1,757.5 |
Source: World Bank Open Data (World Development Indicators) (opens in a new tab) · dataset version 2026-07-01 · retrieved 2026-07-12
Derived indicator
Arable land as a share of agricultural land: 23.1 % of agricultural land (2023)
Derived value — formula arable-share-of-agricultural-land v1.0.0 (calc v1). Inputs: AG.LND.ARBL.ZS (11.4) ÷ AG.LND.AGRI.ZS (49.5). A derived ratio, not an observed statistic. Sensitive to rounding and to differing revision cycles of the two source series; omit rather than extrapolate when a common year is unavailable.
Documented crops & livestock
Agricultural institutions
- Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) — National coordinating body for crop and livestock research.
- International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) — CGIAR livestock research centre headquartered in Nairobi.
- Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) — State regulator for scheduled crops such as tea, coffee and horticulture.
Data coverage & limitations
Covered by the World Bank WDI snapshots for land, production, yield, economy, inputs, and environment indicators.
| Layer | Status | What is held |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural authorities | Not yet indexed | — |
| Official registries | Not yet indexed | — |
| Compliance requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Support programmes | Not yet indexed | — |
| Biosecurity listings | Not yet indexed | — |
| Variety registrations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Input authorisations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Extension resources | Not yet indexed | — |
| Market statistics | Covered | 449 records |
| Soil survey observations | Not yet indexed | — |
| Border requirements | Not yet indexed | — |
| Farm economics figures | Not yet indexed | — |
| Climate, drought and water values | Covered | 48 records |
This page describes what AgricultureID has indexed, not what exists. A layer shown as not yet indexed means nobody has looked, and never that the thing is absent in that country. How coverage is worked out.
- Statistics are dated, versioned and periodically revised as new survey results arrive.
- National definitions and crop categories differ from those used elsewhere, limiting cross-country comparison.
- Heavy dependence on rainfed smallholder systems makes output highly sensitive to rainfall and drought.
- Pastoral production in the arid and semi-arid lands is inherently difficult to measure precisely.
Sources
This article draws on the following authoritative sources. See our sources & methodology for how they are selected.
- Authoritative
Cited for: Agricultural statistics (WDI)
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12
- [2]FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization (opens in a new tab)Authoritative
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Cited for: Production, land use and food-balance context
- Type:
- Intergovernmental organization
- Jurisdiction:
- Global
- Accessed:
- 2026-07-12