Agriculture is the main activity carried out in most of the sub-counties. The County’s agricultural production is dominated by cereals, grain legumes, root crops, honey, mangoes, oranges, avocados, flowers, pineapples, sorghum, sisal and coffee.
Investment opportunities include:
- Fruit processing,
- Aquaculture and honey processing,
- Poultry farming,
- Fish farming,
- Dairy products processing,
- Beef processing, hides,
- Skins and leather processing,
- Seed production,
- Animal feeds and supplement production.
Crop Production
The following table shows the production of various agricultural products over the past three years.| Product | Supporting Soil and Weather Conditions | Variety Produced | Volume of Production over the last 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mangoes | Altitude 0-1500 masl Temp.200C -260C Rainfall 500 – 1000mm per annum Soils; Well drained, deep fertile loamy soils, pH 5.5 – 7.5 | Altitude 1500 -2000masl Rainfall at least 1200mm p.a Soils; deep well drained Ph 5 – 6 Temp 15 – 280C | 22,500 MT improved 67,500MT Local |
| Avocados | Altitude 0-2100 m.a.s.l Rainfall 1000mm p,a. Temp.25-260C Soils; deep, fertile, well aerated, optimum pH 5.5 – 6.5 | Hass, Fuerte, Locals | 7,500MT 22,500MT |
| Oranges | Altitude;0 -1800masl Rainfall <1000mm p.a Soils; Deep light loamy soil, well drained Ph 5.0 – 6.0 Temp 25 30 0C | Washington navel, Valencia | 22,500MT |
| Watermelons | Altitude > 1000masl Rainfall 400 – 600mm p.a Temp. 22 – 280C Soils; well drained, sandy loams or alluvial soils Ph 6 – 7.5 | F1 eg Maridadi F1, Sukari FI | 30,000MT |
| Capsicum | Altitude0 - 2000masl Rainfall 600 – 1200mm pa Temp 20 - 300C Soils; well drained loamy | California wonder, admiral, commandant, keystone resistant giant( F1) | 150,000MT |
| French Beans | Altitude 1000 – 2000masl Rainfall 900 – 1200mm p.a Soils; well drained Temp | Amy,Julia, Sasa,, Samantha, Bakara | 100,000MT |
| Macadamia | Altitude 1500 -2000masl Rainfall at least 1200mm p.a Soils; deep well drained Ph 5 – 6 Temp 15 – 280C | MRG 20, KRG 15, KMB 3, EMB 1 | 15,000MT |
Agriculture remains Kenya’s apex Sector and largest contributor to GDP, Foreign Exchange Earnings and Economic Growth. The County Government has intensified investment and development of the Agricultural Sector by earmarking some venture opportunities for foreign investors seeking local counterparts, privatization of factories, export oriented agri-business and investment in large scale irrigation schemes.
Machakos County invites investors to explore business opportunities across the agribusiness value chain from primary production to value addition.
Approximately 60% of total land area in Machakos is arable. The following table shows the production of various agricultural products over the past three years.