The agro-based industries which use agricultural produce as their raw materials represented 7.2% of the total number of industries identified. The industry employs 9% of employees in the industrial sector; out of which 46% are skilled whereas 54% are unskilled. Examples under this sector are kenkey production, oil palm processing, akpeteshie distillation, and cassava processing and corn mills.

The metal-based industry accounts for 10% of the industries identified. This includes Wielding, black smiths, and goldsmith.

Wood-based industry (Carpentry work) accounted for 32% of the total industries identified. People who work in this industry constitute 31% of the total industrial labour force employed. Skilled labour employed is 60% while the unskilled labour employed is 40%.

Those industries that produce cloth or textiles (particularly Kente weaving) represented 36.8% of the total number of industries identified. Also, 27% of industrial employees are engaged in the textile industry. The skilled labour however, represents 85% whereas their unskilled counterparts represent. The kente product is marketed at Kpetoe, Agbozume and as far as Kumasi. The kente weaving is tourism potential in the District but needs to be developed.

Key areas of concern

• Lack of credit facilities
• Low level of technology
• High cost of raw materials
• Low patronage of produce

Commercial activities

The category of people mostly engaged in commercial activities in retail and whole forms. The retailers (the majority) sell their goods in small quantities on table tops and in small shops. Due to the fact that most of those engaged in commerce are retailers it implies their businesses are small in nature. This is so because they lack the financial resources to expand their trade and low patronage of goods attributed to high prices. There is the need to provide and increase access to credit and also stabilize the prices of goods.

The major commercial activities engaged in the District are the sale of provisions, textiles, building materials, foodstuffs and others (electrical gadgets, cosmetics, utensils etc). It was captured from the field survey that most of the people were engaged in the sale of food stuffs which took 30% of the total activities and this was closely followed by the sale of provisions With the above one can say that the district is a food producing community that is why most of the people trade in foodstuffs hence the need to provide food processing machines to reduce loss of goods and reduce the incidence of price fluctuation. 

Industry, Commerce and Service

The industrial sector in the district is less developed. There are currently no large industrial holdings in the district. The sector is currently characterized by small scale businesses. The commercial sector is dominated by activities in the retail and (a limited) wholesale activities in agricultural and industrial goods such as raw agricultural produce, food vendoring, household consumables, chemical shops, and electrical shops. On the other hand, the services sector is dominated by small scale operators in activities such as telecommunication services, hair dressing and barbering, electronic repairs, vehicle repairs and footwear repairs.


Small Scale Industrial Activities

Ewe-Kente (the traditional cloth) is also produced by numerous weavers in the District.  Handicrafts like works of metal; clay, fiber and wood dominate the relics and jewellery of the shrines in Ketu North.  Ritual wood carvers are found in Dzodze, Afife, and Weta and in the remotest Villages. Apart from the above, there is pottery works at Kuli-Dzogbefeme. Craftsmen in the streets, at market places and in the villages, with simple tools, turn out beautiful products. 

There are small-scale workshops with basic equipment located in the urban centers to produce metal products such as hand tools for farming and cassava graters.

The linkage between processing and manufacturing on the one hand, and the Agriculture Sector on other is however weak.

Some of the identified industrial problems include:
i.    Lack of inputs/raw materials
ii.   Inadequate credit/finances
iii.   Unreliable market
iv.   Lack of storage facilities
v.    High cost of raw materials/inputs
vi.   Low energy/electricity coverage
vii.  Poor condition of feeder roads
viii. No processing machines
ix.   Inadequate capital

Trade and Commerce

Ketu North district thrives in markets.  The district has its marketing centers as Dzodze.  Markets are held on rotating basis every four (4) days.  Other satellite markets are found at Weta, Afife, Penyi and Tadzewu. The major markets specialize in fish especially smoked herrings and agricultural produce. 

However, the toilet in Dzodze is not directly sited at the market due to inadequate space and it is about 100m away. The meat shop is in a deplorable state Refuse containers are not placed at Dzodze main market because of non availability of space. However, two containers were placed at the  extended market at the old lorry park (Dzesime), where refuse from the main market is sent, while the containers in the markets at Afife and  Weta are directly placed at the market.   In order to maintain and sustain sanitation in the markets, especially at Dzodze, communal labour is organized twice a month.