Agriculture is the mainstay of Bomet County with tea farming and dairy production leading in the sector. Food crops are grown in the area with maize being the area’s staple food. Beans, Irish potatoes, millet, cabbages, onions, bananas and pineapples are grown both for subsistence and sale in the county and distant markets mainly Nairobi and various counties in the former Nyanza Province. Commercial growing of avocado and passion fruits is picking up in the county. Tea earns the residents of the county most of their revenue. Dairy industry is also a major player in contributing to household incomes. There is a milk factory in Sotik town and several milk cooling plants spread across the county. Coffee farming is also established in areas around Bomet, Tarakwa and Ndanai. Fish and poultry rearing are also receiving attention in the county of late. The high altitude at which the county is located has predisposed it to favourable climatic conditions that have allowed the area to remain green for most parts of the year. The area also receives rainfall for a good part of the year which allows agriculture to flourish. Trade is conducted in the urban centres of the region with a number of financial institutions offering banking and credit services to the people of the county. Micro-finance initiatives along with government loans towards the youth and women would see an increase in trade which would mean an increase in the household incomes of the people of the county. The county is among the most densely populated counties in the region and thus has a large labour force concentrated around its agricultural centres. The potential for this labour force is quite high since any efforts to direct its energy towards increased agricultural production would see the county contribute a substantial portion toward the country’s food requirements and consequently provide incomes for its people. Investment opportunities abound in agriculture, hospitality and transport sectors. A maize milling factory would do well as there is a lot of maize grown in the county and in the two neighboring counties of Narok and Nyamira which have always used Bomet County roads as a transit route to far-off markets. The close proximity of the county to the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve means that hotels would prosper. As the county government takes root, increased number of visitors to the county will be a boost to hotels around Bomet town as well. The Bomet County Government has laid a lot of emphasis on improving road infrastructure making areas that were hitherto inaccessible by vehicles accessible hence more opportunities in the public transport sector. Demand for housing from county staff, business community and people who want to settle in the serene suburbs of Sotik and Bomet towns is helping to boost the property market. As a county with a youthful population, ICT related colleges and services are on demand. Businesses, government institutions and schools are digitizing services and processes hence business opportunities for ICT companies that provide these solutions are limitless. There is also room for investment in retail and wholesale businesses, hardware stores and trade in farm products. Investors both from within and without the county should take advantage of investment incentives offered by the county government and the good investment environment that prevails in the county- good security, hospitable people, low labor costs, vast space for setting up structures, pro-investment policies set by the county and sound purchasing power of the community fueled by a fast growing middle class
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 14:06:30 +0000