Plantain farming is one of the agri-businesses we advise young farmers to get involved in because it is a low capital agribusiness. Almost every Nigerian soil is good for plantain plantation, as experience has shown. The most exciting reality is that there is always a demand for plantain. Although its price varies with the season and location, farmers still make good profits even when the price falls to the least.
Plantain also has huge export potential, can be eaten raw when ripe, fried to make plantain chips, processed to make plantain flour, serves as industrial raw materials for the creation of sanitary pads, fabrics and also for the food and beverage industry for making baby foods, biscuits, bread and cakes.
Plantain in a glance
Plantain is a tropical staple food that is widely consumed. It is the world’s tenth most common foot staple, feeding people of all races all over the world. The fruit is prepared in the same way as potatoes are, and it has a similar natural flavour and texture when the unripe fruit is steamed, boiled, or fried.
It fruits all year, making it a more reliable all-season staple food, particularly in developing countries like Nigeria, where food storage, preservation technology, and transportation are lacking. Plantains and bananas provide more than 25% of Africa’s carbohydrate requirements for over 700 million citizens.
8 tips on having a successful plantain farm
Successful plantain farming can be realised and achieved if the following points are followed religiously.
1. Land Preparation
- Select a very good land. It yields best in loam soil.
- Start clearing the ground, falling trees, and bush burning at the beginning of this dry season (Dec-Feb), particularly in the South West (Nigeria). Late seeding (July – September)
- Collect plant waste mulching materials to prevent young plants from being harder to the sun
2. Sourcing a good sucker
There are different varieties of plantain suckers.
- Big fruit producers/fewer sucker producers
- Small fruit producers/ numerous sucker producers
- Quite Large producers of fruit/ average sucker producers
3. How to source a good sucker
- Source from a proven and credible farm
- Visit the farm and see the farm’s conservation culture
- Never buy from an ill farm or a farm with low maintenance.
- Request for the seller’s metrics (e.g. guide on how the pleasant outcome was achieved)
- Three styles of the peeper, maiden, and sword sucker suckers are available.
- Peeper sucker: a small sucker that comes from the ground
- Maiden sucker: a big sucker with leaflets. It grows high, produces excellent yields and is resistant to pests and diseases. It is a good planting material.
- Sword sucker is a major lanceolate sucker. The best traditional planting material. It grows high and yields very well and is resistant to pests and diseases.
Never compromise seeds/suckers, as no solution or amount of inputs can’t increase the seed’s potential. It is advisable to go for a seed/sucker with a good pedigree.
4. Planting the suckers
Different techniques have proven useful in the cultivation of plantains. Recommendations from the sucker seller are important.
- Plant holes are prepared mechanically or manually
- When digging the hole, separate the excavated topsoil from the bottom soil
- Bury the suckers in the hole, cover with topsoil or mixed with dried poultry waste.
- The recommended spacing is 3 m between the rows and 2 m within the row (3 m x 2 m or 2.5 m x 2.5 m).
- 3m x 3m spacing is recommended for intercropping
- To determine the number of stands on your farm, use our farm calculator.
4. Mulching
- Peeper suckers should be mulched to help them develop well in harsh weather conditions
- Plant debris is usually used as mulching materials in Nigeria.
5. Weeding
- Plantain farming is no rocket science. Regular weeding is essential for good development and fruit production. If the land is not too big, manual weeding is recommended.
- However, the use of herbicides can be handy to minimize weed and rogue plant rivalry.
6. Fertilization
- Manure from poultry has proved highly effective on plantain in sucker and fruit production.
- Granules/Foliar fertilizers are simple to apply with great results.
7. Harvesting
Fruits and its suckers are the two major products derived from plantain.
- Harvesting the fruit
The fruit should be ready for harvest in 8-10 months.
Note: Climate change has had a serious impact on the plantain cycle as rainfall patterns have changed in southwest Nigeria for some years now.
- Harvesting the suckers
- Harvest the suckers after the parent plant has been cut down.
- Make sure the sucker population is not more than 2-3 left per stand.
- Suckers should be carefully uprooted to prevent damage.
- Uprooted suckers can be sold or used to expand the farm. More reasons you should source from a credible source.
8. Market
You will note that the fruits appear in large, medium and small sizes during the harvest.
- The large size fruits can be sold directly to the market because it attracts a high price.
- Medium-size fruits can be used for the production of plantain chips.
- The small size fruits can be converted to plantain flour. It adds pricing value.
Due to the erratic rainfall pattern, irrigation has become necessary to a successful plantain farm business. A well maintained-irrigated plantain plantation can serve as a framework for food security.
To advise you on the type of varieties to opt, contact us.