Kenya is one of the world’s major producers of coffee. Agriculture plays an important role in Kenya’s economy and employs 75% of the active population. It consists 25% of the country’s GDP. Agriculture supplies the manufacturing sector with raw materials and generates tax revenue and foreign exchange that support the rest of the economy. Virtually 80% of the country lies in the semi-arid to very arid Zones (ASALs), which are predominantly inhabited by the pastoralists and agro-pastoralists. These areas, which are also classified as rangelands, are unsuitable for rain fed cultivation due to physical limitations such as aridity and poor vegetation. The share of employment in agriculture is 37.95 %.
Seasonal climatic changes are controlled by the large-scale pressure systems of the western Indian Ocean and adjacent landmasses. From December to March, northeast winds predominate north of the Equator, while south to southeast winds dominate south of it. These months are fairly dry, although rain may occur locally. The rainy season extends from late March to May, with air flowing from the east in both hemispheres. From June to August there is little precipitation, and southwest winds prevail north of the Equator as southeast winds prevail in the south. Only on the southern coast is precipitation reliable enough for prosperous agriculture.
The major agricultural products in Kenya include tea, coffee, horticulture, corn, wheat, sugarcane, dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, and eggs. Tea production is Kenya's largest single foreign exchange earner. Coffee and horticulture are the other major agricultural export foreign exchange earners. Export – tea, coffee, sunflower and vegetables. Import – sugar, maize and beans. Coffee production has similarly followed varied patterns of output according to weather conditions.