Investing in Agriculture in Nyeri County

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of Kenya, with many people both from rural and urban areas driving their livelihoods directly or indirectly from agriculture. The performance of this sector is greatly reflected on the whole economy of the country. Growth in the agricultural sector translates directly to the improvement in living standards of many families in the country.

Nyeri county is located in the former Central Province at the foothills of Aberdare. Its capital and largest town is Nyeri. The county had a population of 661,156 as per the 2009 census, but the number has increased. The county is located on the south-west flank of Mount Kenya.

Residents of Nyeri county primarily depends on agriculture for survival and this is the main economic activity. They practice different farming methods ranging from food crops to dairy farming. Due to the presence of fertile soils in the region, cash crop farming has taken the front row in the region and the people of this county have utilized the arable land for cultivation of tea and coffee. There are large chunks of land with tea and coffee.

Most of tea and coffee that the country exports to the international markets comes from this region. Effective realization of the agricultural’s sector goals in the county only depends on reviving these commodities in a more sustainable manner.

With the presence of large scale farming of tea and coffee, this opens up many investment opportunities in the county. Investors should make good of the available resources and start by establishing a coffee mill or plant. This will be a great opportunity for both the farmers and the investors as they will both experience great profits.

Farmers tend to face challenges especially when it comes to a ready market for their produce. Those who have been allocated the management duties on the industry also keep frustrating the farmers even more.

This is another opportunity for marketers to take charge of the county and market the crop for the farmers. Most of them still pass through the cruel hands of brokers so as to access market, thus experiencing losses and the middlemen must have their large share after helping the farmers. The farmers need a transparent market where they will be able to see how their products are being sold out and the returns given to them directly.

Fertilizers and farming equipment are also needed by the farmers. This is another opportunity to invest in. a fertilizer plant can be put up too so as to make work easy for the farmers. They also need to be enlightened on the best coffee and tea farming methods, so that they can be in a position to embrace technology in the farming sector.

Article by Vera Shawiza.