The economy of the district is driven by agriculture due to the vast tracts of arable land coupled with good weather conditions. According to the 2010 PHC data, the economic sector employs about 80 percent of the active labour force in the District.
Agriculture in the district is made up of crop farming, animal husbandry and fishing. According to the 2010 PHC data, crop production employs about 90 percent of active labour force in the agricultural sector whilst animal husbandry takes about five percent, fishing four percent and one percent takes account of others like migrant Fulani herdsmen who roam the district with their cattle.
The key food crops grown in the district include yam, maize, cocoyam, plantain, beans and groundnuts. Cabbage is a new addition to these traditional food crops. Tree crops like cashew, oranges and oil palm are also grown mainly for commercial purposes. Farm acreage ranges from 2 to 30 acres for subsistence farming whilst commercial farms range from 50 to 200 acres
The type of industrial activities in the District can be categorized based on their primary input or raw material and the kind of skill in the production process. The wood industry is visible even though not very vibrant. This includes sawmilling, carpentry and joinery, and woodcarving. These are medium and small scale production units. Also of some significance are metal-based manufacturing enterprises that include welding and fabrication, steel bending, etc.
The industrial sector is very much dominated by informal micro agro-processing enterprise in the District’s economy. Gari processing, oil palm extraction, fish processing are some of the main areas of employment and income generation, especially among women, within the industrial sector of the district. Small boat and canoe building as well as wood carving enterprises also exist.
Some commercial tree species contained in the forest are Milicia excelsa (Odum), Sterculia rhinopetala (Wawa), Terminalia superba (Ofram), Khaya ivoriensis (African mahogany), Antiaris toxicaria (Kyenkyen) etc. The major soils in the district are the Swedru-Nsaba-Offin Compound. Dominating this soil group is the Swedru series which are mainly red silty, well drained, deep gravel-free silty loams and silty-clay loams. The Nsaba series are yellowish red silty clay loam, moderately well drained, very shallow and rocky. The soils are suitable for the cultivation of both food crops (cassava, plantain, yam, cocoyam, maize) and cash crops (cocoa, coffee, oil palm, citrus, cola) which are grown in the municipality. The land in this area is susceptible to wind erosion if laid bare of vegetation.
The District is drained to the south by the Afram River and the Volta River to the east which flow continually throughout the year and can be used for both domestic and agricultural purposes. Several other seasonal streams are found in the District. The pattern is largely dendritic flowing in the north-south direction. The District has very rich groundwater resources. These could be developed for water supply purposes, particularly in the rural communities, which are not served by pipe-borne water. Even though most are not perennial, a number of springs are found in the District. Apart from being of geographical importance, these springs could be further investigated for possible exploitation to provide raw materials for the production of mineral water. The Volta Lake, Afram River, Obosom River are located in the various town and its environs, Ekye-Amanfrom, Bridge Ano are all blessed natural water resources in the District.
