Trans-Nzoia County: the Home of Maize and Opportunity

Trans-Nzoia County is a County in the former Rift Valley Province. The County is located between the River Nzoia and Mount Elgon. Kitale Town is the capital of this County. The county boarders Bungoma to the west, Uasin Gishu and Kakamega to the south, Elgeyo Marakwet to the east, West Pokot to the north and the Republic of Uganda to North West.

What comes in your mind whenever Trans-Nzoia County is mentioned? Even before the term County came into being, Trans-Nzoia was already known. The region is known for one thing, maize. This is actually the County that to some extent determines the level of inflation in the country because it is one of the main producers of the country’s stable food.

Trans-Nzoia County is an arable land. This makes the practice of agriculture very efficient in the county. In this county, maize farming is widely practiced. Maize is planted in both large scale as well as small scale farming. Almost 90 percent of farmers in this county plant maize for commercial purposes.

A wide range of investment opportunities exist in this county in the agricultural sector. Though many people have come to regard the maize farming as being unprofitable, the sector is an avenue to a world of investment opportunities. First, it should be noted that maize is actually the stable food of Kenya. When the price of unga goes up for instance, the country’s inflation is shifted. This implies that maize is a very precious commodity to many household in Kenya and to the economy of the country in general.

Maize farming can be frustrating in terms of losses to the farmer. This is because the prices of maize are never constant and they keep on fluctuating depending on the volume produced. However, for other investors, these are the opportunities presented by the maize farming in Trans-Nzoia County:

1. Start a flour company

Maize flour or unga as it is commonly known is always on demand in Kenya. Starting a small factory that will produce and process a well sifted unga at an affordable price is a wise decision to think of investing in this county. The main raw materials, maize, are in plenty all year round. Labour is also adequate and the market is wide starting from the county itself and the country at large. Trans-Nzoia County also still has large tracks of land hence more room for expansion.

2. Buy maize from farmers during harvest season

Trans-Nzoia County produces maize in plenty. This has always affected the prices of maize making the commodity to trade for as low as 30 shillings for every 2 kg tin. A wise investor buys maize at this harvesting time at a low price and stores it. Buying maize, storing it and then selling it later is very profitable. This is because maize prices usually rise to as high as one hundred shilling per 2kg tin as early as from the month of March. Let us say you bought the maize at 40 shillings per 2kg then sell it at 100 shillings per 2kg that is profit. Isn’t it?

3. Start the business of selling fertilizer to farmers

This is one of the lucrative businesses in the county. Maize entirely depends on fertilizer to thrive. Although the government often offers fertilizer at a subsidized price, the fertilizer is never enough for all the farmers. Farmers, therefore, get their fertilizer from vendors and this is a thriving business during the planting season especially from small scale farmers.

Politics of Trans-Nzoia County

In the past, there has been conflict between the Governor for Trans-Nzoia County Mr. Khaemba and the Members of the County Assembly. This conflict affected the operations of the county for some time but have since been resolved.