Livestock & Market Prices
What goats, cattle and sheep sold for at Isiolo and the outlying markets in the latest NDMA drought bulletin — the spread between markets, what a goat buys in maize, staple food prices and the county drought phase.
Prices surveyed in
February 2026
Market days: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The Isiolo sales yard draws cattle, goats, sheep and camels from seven counties and from across the Somali border.
From the NDMA Isiolo County Drought Early Warning Bulletin for February 2026.
These are February 2026 prices
The sales yard in Isiolo town is the region's main livestock market, but the same animal fetches very different money at the outlying markets — Oldonyiro, Merti, Garbatulla, Kinna, Sericho. These are the most recent prices the county drought bulletin reports for each, so the spread between markets is visible without trekking days to find out.
No camel prices — a real gap
Livestock prices, by market
Goats
Ksh 5,500
county average for a two-year goat in February 2026 — down from Ksh 6,200 the month before
On average, a two-year goat fetched Ksh 8,000 at Isiolo town but Ksh 4,500 at Oldonyiro and Merti — a gap of Ksh 3,500 on the same animal.
| Market | Average price (Ksh) | |
|---|---|---|
| Isiolo town | Ksh 8,000 | Highest reported |
| Oldonyiro | Ksh 4,500 | lowest reported |
| Merti | Ksh 4,500 | lowest reported |
About 9 percent above the 2023–25 February average. The bulletin expected prices to rise from March as body condition improves after the early rains.
Cattle
Ksh 37,700
county average for one head of cattle in February 2026 — down from Ksh 43,300 the month before
On average, one head of cattle fetched Ksh 45,000 at Isiolo livestock market but Ksh 30,000 at Oldonyiro — a gap of Ksh 15,000 on the same animal.
| Market | Average price (Ksh) | |
|---|---|---|
| Isiolo livestock market | Ksh 45,000 | Highest reported |
| Oldonyiro | Ksh 30,000 | lowest reported |
18 percent above the 2023–25 February average of Ksh 31,900, with low supply at all markets. Modogashe market, which draws traders from Garissa, performed relatively better than the other outlying markets.
Sheep
Ksh 4,700
county average for a medium-sized sheep in February 2026 — down from Ksh 5,200 the month before
The bulletin reports no per-market breakdown for sheep.
Prices are the market averages NDMA's county field monitors collected for the drought early-warning bulletin. They describe the month as a whole, per market — single sales above or below the average happen on every market day.
What one animal buys in food — terms of trade
Selling one two-year goat bought about 67 kg of maize in February 2026, on the county average (the month before: about 78 kg).
| Market | Kg of maize per one two-year goat |
|---|---|
| Isiolo town | 127 kg |
| Kinna | 65 kg |
| Sericho | 57 kg |
| Merti | 42 kg |
Terms of trade measure what an animal is worth in food: the kilograms of maize that selling one two-year goat pays for at the same market's prices. The February figure matched the long-term February average of 67 kg.
Staple food prices
| Item | Unit | Price (Ksh) | By market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry maizeCounty average Ksh 81 — up marginally from Ksh 80 in January. | 1 kg | Ksh 60 – 100 | Isiolo town Ksh 60 · Merti Ksh 100 |
| BeansCounty average Ksh 150, steady on the month after the poor short-rains harvest. | 1 kg | Ksh 120 – 200 | Isiolo town Ksh 120 · Merti Ksh 200 |
| Fresh milkHousehold milk production fell to about 1.1 litres a day in February as forage deteriorated; most milk came from cows and camels. | 1 litre | Ksh 120 – 160 |
Drought phase: Alert — worsening
At the end of February 2026 all three livelihood zones were at Alert and deteriorating. Vegetation was in severe deficit after the failed 2025 short rains, milk production fell, and the bulletin classed overall food security as Crisis (IPC Phase 3) — but the long rains opened early, in the last week of February, and conditions were expected to improve from March.
- Normal — indicators sit within their usual seasonal ranges.
- Alert — rain, vegetation or water indicators have moved outside their normal ranges.
- Alarm — the drought is hitting production and access — livestock condition, milk, prices and water distances are out of range.
- Emergency — all indicators are out of range; lives and livelihoods are at risk and full-scale response is under way.
Classified monthly by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA).
For the radio
Plain sentences a presenter can read on air, numbers spelled out.
Livestock and market prices for Isiolo and nearby markets, from the NDMA Isiolo County Drought Early Warning Bulletin for February 2026.
A two-year goat sold for about five thousand five hundred shillings on average — the best average was about eight thousand shillings at Isiolo town, and the lowest was about four thousand five hundred shillings at Oldonyiro and Merti.
One head of cattle sold for about thirty-seven thousand seven hundred shillings on average — the best average was about forty-five thousand shillings at Isiolo livestock market, and the lowest was about thirty thousand shillings at Oldonyiro.
A medium-sized sheep sold for about four thousand seven hundred shillings on average.
Selling one two-year goat bought about sixty-seven kilograms of maize on average — about one hundred and twenty-seven kilograms at Isiolo town, and forty-two at Merti.
The bulletin classes the county drought phase as Alert, worsening.
These are reported market averages for February 2026 — the latest bulletin published — not today's prices and not offers.