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

May 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 May 2026.

These are May 2026 prices

This is the most recent bulletin published, but prices at the market have moved since. Use these figures to compare markets — which has paid more and which less — not as today's price. NDMA publishes each county bulletin a few weeks after the month it covers — the May bulletin appeared in mid-June. We update this board when a new Isiolo bulletin appears.

Livestock prices, by market

Goats

Ksh 6,325

county average for a two-year goat in May 2026 — up from Ksh 5,700 the month before

On average, a two-year goat fetched Ksh 9,000 at Isiolo town but Ksh 5,500 at Merti — a gap of Ksh 3,500 on the same animal.

Market	Average price (Ksh)
Isiolo town	Ksh 9,000	Highest reported
Merti	Ksh 5,500	lowest reported

About 11 percent above the 2023–25 May average, lifted by Eid al-Adha demand. The bulletin expected prices to ease slightly from June as demand returns to normal.

Cattle

Ksh 43,100

county average for one head of cattle in May 2026 — up from Ksh 42,500 the month before

On average, one head of cattle fetched Ksh 50,000 at Isiolo livestock market but Ksh 35,000 at Oldonyiro — a gap of Ksh 15,000 on the same animal.

Market	Average price (Ksh)
Isiolo livestock market	Ksh 50,000	Highest reported
Oldonyiro	Ksh 35,000	lowest reported

About 11 percent above the 2023–25 May average of Ksh 38,900, with sustained demand. Modogashe market, which draws traders from Garissa, held relatively higher prices than the other outlying markets.

Sheep

Ksh 5,360

county average for a medium-sized sheep in May 2026 — up from Ksh 4,600 the month before

A medium-sized sheep, up from Ksh 4,600 in April. 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 83 kg of maize in May 2026, on the county average (the month before: about 69 kg).

Market	Kg of maize per one two-year goat
Isiolo town	136 kg
Kinna	86 kg
Sericho	70 kg
Merti	52 kg

Terms of trade measure what an animal is worth in food: the kilograms of maize that selling one two-year goatpays for at the same market's prices. That was about 20 percent above the long-term May average of 69 kg.

Staple food prices

Item	Unit	Price (Ksh)	By market
Dry maizeCounty average Ksh 76 — down from Ksh 83 in April as supplies arrived from the large-scale growing areas.	1 kg	Ksh 60 – 100	Isiolo town Ksh 60 · Merti Ksh 100
BeansCounty average Ksh 161, up from Ksh 156 in April as stocks tightened ahead of the June harvest.	1 kg	Ksh 120 – 200	Isiolo town Ksh 120 · Merti Ksh 200
Fresh milkCounty average about Ksh 85 a litre. Household milk production was 2.3 litres a day in May, roughly 24 percent above normal after the long rains, most of it from cows and camels.	1 litre	Ksh 80 – 100	Kinna Ksh 80 · Merti Ksh 100

Livestock & Market Prices

Livestock & Market Prices

Livestock prices, by market

Goats

Cattle

Sheep

What one animal buys in food — terms of trade

Staple food prices

Drought phase: Normal — improving

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