Do you want to know how to start a plantain farming business in Nigeria? You are on the right page. Plantain farming is one of the most profitable farming businesses in Agriculture. This type of farming is like a gold mine, and not enough people are exploring it yet.
This business has the potential to generate millions of naira for farmers annually.
However, it would help if you had some expertise and knowledge in setting up a profitable plantain farm. Starting a farming business is a great idea. But it would help if you have the technical know-how to grow a thriving plantain plantation.
This article will give you all you need to know about starting a plantain farming business in Nigeria.
How to start a plantain farming Business in Nigeria
The plantation farming business is quite uneasy when starting. But not to worry, I have an outline of six critical stages to starting a plantain farming business.
- Land/Soil preparation
- Purchase the plantain suckers
- Hire field workers
- Plant the suckers
- Weed Control and fertilization
- Harvest
The above stages of plantation farming all have their respective relevance. I will discuss these points to give you an insight on starting your plantain farming.
1. Land/Soil Preparation
Land preparation is the first step you need to take when starting any farming business. It would help if you acquired land that has a suitable texture of soil for growing plantains. Loamy soil is the best type of soil for starting plantain plantations. The presence of organic matter in the soil is why it thrives well with plantain farming.
Loamy soil is preferable because it has a balanced ratio between organic and inorganic matter. Organic nutrients such as plants remain, insect remains provide the soil with oxygen, nitrogen, and other nutrients. Loamy soil has all these requirements for plantain farming.
Vegetative areas are good locations to set up a plantain farm. Nigeria’s major plantation farms are mainly in the tropical rainforest region of the country. However, you still have to prevent the soil from depleting after a few years.
This stage also involves preparing the land by clearing the bushes, trees, and labor. Preparing the land and soil is the first and most crucial farming stage.
2. Purchase the plantain suckers
The suckers are part of the shoots of a plantain. Plantain suckers grow from the bud (at the base) of the parent plant. Suckers have a few leaves, and they are used to grow new plantain plants. Since the suckers are from other plantain plants, it is essential to get suckers that are healthy and free from disease.
Plantain suckers come in three types; water, maidenhead, and sword suckers. Maidenhead and sword suckers are the best options for plantation farming. These two types of suckers have high productivity and resistance to disease.
Planting the suckers requires a few technical details. You should cut the suckers in a way that will facilitate good evaporation since they do not have enough leaves. It is also advisable to maintain good moisture when planting these suckers.
Plantain suckers are available at low prices from local farmers. But make sure you get them from reputable farmers to avoid suckers with plant diseases. You can get these plantain suckers for as low as N150.
Read Also : How to Start A Successful Bakery Business In Nigeria
3. Employ Fieldworkers
Employing field workers depends on the size of the land. Activities such as land preparation, planting, weeding, and harvesting need a lot of hands. A plantation farm requires a lot of labor. Getting skilled and unskilled labor plays a significant role in your business. Putting a few workers on your plantation can ease you off the stress.
On the other hand, machinery can do the job. But you must consider your budget as these machines are expensive to hire.
So, when starting a large plantain farming business, keep in mind the labor expenses.
4. Planting the Suckers
Like I mentioned earlier, the plantain suckers are what you will use to produce new plants. Suckers come in different types, and they can help expand the plantain plantation. There are some details that you need to know about planting suckers.
When planting the suckers, make sure you cut or decapitate them to allow good water evaporation. The suckers should maintain a distance of two to five meters from each other. It is appropriate to have the suckers at a length of 8 to 10 feet.
Suckers do not survive in waterlogged soil; they are not favorable in dry soil. The soil you plant the suckers in should be moderately moist.
If you follow these guides, your young plantain plants will be in the best condition possible.
5. Weed control and fertilization
Farmers’ most significant worry is weed. Weed competes with plantain for nutrition and air. Removing these unwanted weed plants is vital to growing a productive plantain plantation. You can hire field workers to remove the weed from your plants. Alternatively, the use of chemicals is also effective in this course. Tillage is another excellent way of controlling weeds on your farmland.
The method of weed control you use might depend on the size of your farmland.
Fertilizer application is also a fantastic way of keeping the plantain fertile and productive. It is advisable to use fertilizers with the correct ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK fertilizer). Applying an NPK fertilizer once a month will effectively increase the yield of the plantains.
Weed control and fertilizer application are essential aspects of managing a productive plantain farm.
Read Also : How to Start a Cattle Farming Business in Nigeria
6. Harvest
Plantains get ripe and ready for harvesting within 8 to 10 months of planting. An advantage of plantain is that, during harvest, new plants start growing again, and it relieves farmers of any further stress.
So, after all these stages, you can enjoy your investment. You can make a lot of profit from your plantain farming business in Nigeria.
7. Selling your plantain harvest
There is no doubt that there is a high demand for plantain across Nigeria. You have options of different places where you can sell the plantains. Companies producing flour need plantains; the local market is also your customer. On the international scene, you can export plantains from your plantation.
Plantain farming business is a massive source of income as you can get a lot of cash from selling them.
Cost of starting a plantain farming business in Nigeria
There is no doubt that a plantain farming business is profitable. However, it is the demands and the costs of kick-starting this business that could be a challenge for some. Apart from the cost of acquiring land, you can start a plantain farming business with less than N150, 000.
Below, I will break down the expenses of everything you need to start a plantain farm.
- Purchase of Suckers; The plantain shoots you need to produce new plants are the suckers. They can cost from N150 to N200 each. So if you are buying 500 plantain suckers, this sums up to N75 000 to N100 000.
- Transportation; Transporting the farming facilities could cost around N5 000 to N7 000
- Planting; As we said earlier, you might need to pay for planting the plantain suckers. These expenses can cost up to N10 000 for 500 suckers.
- Fertilizer and Manure; You can get an NPK fertilizer for N8 000 and manure for N3 000.
- Maintenance cost; It is advisable to budget at least N10 000 for other maintenance.
With the expenses on this list, you can start a plantain farm. If you sum up the prices, you will get around N120 000 to N138 000
Is Plantain farming worth it?
The expenses you need to spend on starting a plantain farm might seem small if you get a good harvest. The potential gains and profit of selling plantain harvest make it worth the stress and every penny. If you do everything right, you can get hundreds of thousands from harvest annually.
Plantain farmers can also make money from the sales of suckers. There are various ways you can make income from starting a plantation farm.
The high demand for plantain is another good reason to venture into this business. You have different potential customers who are looking to purchase plantains.
So, if you are thinking twice about starting a plantain farming business in Nigeria, you have to look at these advantages.
So, here you have it! Everything you need to know about how to start a plantain farming business in Nigeria. Want to know more about this topic? Check out the ‘Frequently Asked Questions and Answers’ Section below.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
How profitable is plantain farming?
Plantain farming is one of the most lucrative types of farming in Agriculture. In Nigeria, you can make a lot of income from selling plantain and plantain suckers in the local markets.
A bunch of plantains is N500 in Nigeria, depending on the location. If you harvest 1000 bunches of plantain, that is about N500 000 with one harvest. An alternative source of income in this business is selling plantain suckers. Each plantain sucker cost around N200. If you sell a thousand suckers, that sums up to N300 000
How long do plantains take before you can harvest?
Plantains take between 8 to 10 months to mature and prepare for harvesting.
How often can I apply fertilizer on my plantain farm?
It is advisable to apply fertilizers on your plantain farm every 4 to 5 weeks. The use of manure is also vital in the fertility of the soil. The best type of fertilizer for plantain farms is NPK fertilizers. These fertilizers have the correct ratio of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
Read Also : How To Start Pure Water Business In Nigeria
What are the challenges of the plantain farming business in Nigeria?
A few issues hinder people from venturing into plantain plantation farming and Agriculture in These. These problems are; unhealthy plantain suckers, poor transportation, financial problems, pests/diseases, and storage facilities.
The Most significant problem people face in starting plantain farming in Nigeria is access to farmlands.
Conclusion
It would be a profitable business if you started a plantain plantation. The guides in this article are all you need to know about plantain farming in Nigeria.
The demand for plantain means that it would be lucrative if you have a successful and productive plantain farm. With the right expertise, you can build a profitable plantation farm in Nigeria.
The cost of starting a plantain farm is not as difficult. The biggest challenge lies in getting farmland to start your business.
However, you can lease farmlands around your locality to start your plantain business. The steps in this article will guide you through the rest.
So, I believe you now know how to start a plantain farming business in Nigeria.
1 thought on “How to Start a Plantain Farming Business in Nigeria”