Economic Activities

Agriculture

The nation’s agriculture is predominantly of subsistence small holding production units, with weak linkages to industrial and service sectors but has an enormous potential to ensure food security, generate income and provide livelihood for majority of the people.

The region is popularly referred to as the food basket of the Country. The mainstay of regional economy is agriculture. Currently, it employs about 60.0% of the economically active labour force. Most of the households are engaged in farming or agricultural related activity. Farming is largely carried out on small-scale basis

Crop Production Sub-Sector

Crop production contributes much to the region’s economy. Among the food crops grown in the district are plantain, cassava, maize, cocoyam, tomatoes, pepper, oil palm, cashew, cocoa and coffee which are grown in larger quantities for local consumption. For instance, about 80% of maize produced in the district is used to feed the birds in the region or transported to other regions for sales. Apart from these majors’ crops, there are minor crops like banana, yam and rice production being produced in the region.

Poultry and Life Bird Production

The poultry industry is a major investment opportunity in the Region. Poultry are kept largely for table egg production. Large scale poultry production is found in Dormaa Municipal, Dormaa East District, Dormaa West District and Sunyani West Municipal. Livestock rearing are also common in the region with the keeping of mainly cattle, sheep and goats.

Agro Processing Industry

The region is currently not into major agro-processing with the exception of the Tomatoes processing factory established under the one-district-one factory initiative at Berekum West district. There is however a looming potential for large scale agro-processing industries considering the quantum of variety of raw materials available in the region. Values can also be added for export under the planting for export initiative by the government of Ghana Initiative. Small scale agro-processing of food and cash crops palm nut, pepper and cashew are being undertaken in various districts in the region.

Key Agricultural Development Potentials

Agriculture has almost unlimited potential for job creation, especially for the youth in the region because of the following reasons.

Favorable rainfall Pattern
Virgin forest and land availability
Favorable soil types, which support both plantations and food crops.
Rich ground water resources, rivers and streams for small-scale irrigation schemes.
Capacity to produce fresh tomatoes to serve tomato processing/canning factory and other parts of the country.
Inland rice production potentials
Ready market for agriculture production
Road network is fairly good for transportation of agricultural produce

Hospitality Services

The Bono Region can also boast of some appreciable hotels and guest houses. These hospitality services are mostly found in Sunyani Municipal, Berekum Municipal, and Sunyani West which have relatively high proportions of their workforce in the accommodation and catering services (GSS, 2013). The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has registered over 100 hotels and guest houses across the Region. These prominent ones are Eusbett, Chesville, Regent Resorts, South Ridge, Tony’s Lodge, Tyco, and Glamossay (Sunyani); Sheila Executive (Fiapre), Ginaat, Partners and Continental (Berekum); Viglosam and Pony Guest House (Wenchi); and Savanna (Sampa).

The major challenges affecting tourism development in the Region are low awareness, poor marketing, inaccessible and undeveloped tourist sites and poor accommodation services (GTA, 2014). The sector therefore requires a great deal of development, marketing and promotion with effective private sector participation.

Education and Religion

The region prides itself on having public institutions such as University of Energy and Natural Resources, Sunyani Technical University, Dormaa Senior High School, Sunyani Senior High school, St. Vitus, Notre Dame Girls Senior High School, Sacred Heart Senior High School, Twene Amanfo Senior High Technical School, Odumanseman Senior High School, Bonoman Senior High School, Abesim Senior High School plus many other private educational institutions such as the Catholic University in Fiapre, Ideal College, Saint James Senior High Seminary in Abesim, Miracle Preparatory Junior & High School, Sunyani Business High School etc.
Christianity, Islam and Bono Ancestral Worship and spirituality is the dominant religion within this domain.

POPULATION 15 YEARS AND OLDER BY ECONOMIC ACTIVITY STATUS, SEX AND TYPE OF LOCALITY IN BONO REGION

Type of Locality	Activity Status	Number
All locality types	Both Sexes
	Total	792,263
	Labour force	457,073
	Employed	394,082
	Unemployed	62,991
	Outside labour force	335,190
	Male
	Total	384,341
	Labour force	240,234
	Employed	212,128
	Unemployed	28,106
	Outside labour force	144,107
	Female
	Total	407,922
	Labour force	216,839
	Employed	181,954
	Unemployed	34,885
	Outside labour force	191,083
Urban	Both Sexes
	Total	477,223
	Labour force	267,525
	Employed	225,564
	Unemployed	41,961
	Outside labour force	209,698
Rural	Both Sexes
	Total	315,040
	Labour force	189,548
	Employed	168,518
	Unemployed	21,030
	Outside labour force	125,492

Source: Ghana Statistical Service, 2021

EMPLOYED POPULATION 15 YEARS AND OLDER BY INDUSTRY, SEX, TYPE OF LOCALITY IN BONO REGION

Industry	Number

Both Sexes
Total	394,082
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	186,930
Mining and quarrying	969
Manufacturing	16,968
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1,477
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	386
Construction	16,832
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	53,839
Transportation and storage	14,549
Accommodation and food service activities	12,259
Information and communication	973
Financial and insurance activities	4,949
Real estate activities	256
Professional, scientific and technical activities	3,789
Administrative and support service activities	2,754
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	6,413
Education	28,719
Human health and social work activities	11,521
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1,982
Other service activities	27,442
Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use	961
Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies	114
Male
Total	212,128
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	106,746
Mining and quarrying	872
Manufacturing	7,498
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	1,431
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	272
Construction	16,028
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	14,363
Transportation and storage	14,396
Accommodation and food service activities	1,841
Information and communication	767
Financial and insurance activities	2,887
Real estate activities	224
Professional, scientific and technical activities	2,402
Administrative and support service activities	1,594
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	4,672
Education	16,884
Human health and social work activities	4,624
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1,133
Other service activities	13,098
Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use	316
Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies	80
Female
Total	181,954
Agriculture, forestry and fishing	80,184
Mining and quarrying	97
Manufacturing	9,470
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply	46
Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	114
Construction	804
Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	39,476
Transportation and storage	153
Accommodation and food service activities	10,418
Information and communication	206
Financial and insurance activities	2,062
Real estate activities	32
Professional, scientific and technical activities	1,387
Administrative and support service activities	1,160
Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	1,741
Education	11,835
Human health and social work activities	6,897
Arts, entertainment and recreation	849
Other service activities	14,344
Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use	645
Activities of extraterritorial organizations and bodies	34