Production & Marketing

Introduction

The production sector is comprised of five sectors namely: Agriculture, Veterinary Services, Fisheries, Entomology as well as Trade and Industry. The department also ensures that appropriate institutional linkages are maintained with all relevant sector agencies; comprising mostly crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry and industrial research, marketing organisations, NGOs and CBOs engaged in agricultural activities.

Agriculture

The term agriculture is used in a very broad sense to covers all the agricultural activities namely; crops, livestock, poultry, and fish farming. Agriculture is the most common economic activity in the district. The majority of farmers are small holders who grow both perennial and annual crops. The perennial crops include Banana, Coffee, and Tea, while the annuals include maize, sweet potatoes, beans, cassava and groundnuts. 93% of the households in the district are engaged in crop growing, 67.1% of the households are engaged in either crop growing or livestock farming and 81% of the households depend on subsistence farming according to the 2014 NPHC.

Major crops grown

Both perennial and annual crops are grown in the district. The annual crops are mostly grown for home consumption.