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 county lies in high altitudes and is green for most parts of the year as rains are prevalent most of the months, January however is the driest month.
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 alongside government loans for the youth and women has seen an increase in trade.
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 to spur agricultural production is high.
Investment opportunities abound in agriculture, hospitality and transport sectors. The close proximity of the county to the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve is a major advantage to the hospitality sector. Since the county government took root, increased number of visitors to the county has spurred growth in the hotel industry in Bomet town and environs.