Agriculture38 Comments

Banana farming is the most neglected farming in Nigeria. Yet, holds more promises and profit potential than most other farming. Knowledge is power and useful, but when it is kept away from the others it becomes useless! In this post we want to take a look at plantain and banana farming in Nigeria and how to get started.

You can be making N1million monthly from plantain and banana farming if you take it to commercial standard. If people in Nigeria today could sit down and review their living standards, they would realize that most of their complaints for poverty and their inability to take care of their situations were actually their own making.

Why would the city be clustered with hungry people who are doing nothing when the surrounding states are made up of vast expanses of productive farmlands? Why would people prefer to suffer even when they can make millions from farming without stress? Take up banana farming today and see how much you will be making in the next two years.

See Also: How Cocoa Farming In African Is An Opportunity For Investors

Market Value For Plantain And Banana Farming

Take plantain for example, Nigerian don’t joke with plantain as they prefer to eat it in various ways both ripped and unripe. Plantain is very good for the body too as it work on the body sugar levels.

Other food like beans, rice, and groundnuts all make very good combination when taken with banana or plantain. Think again about the delicious chips that we like to eat, all these and many more are the end products of plantain.

So without going into much details, looking at various usages of these fruits is enough to tell you the profit potential in this business. For people with entrepreneurial mindset, that is simply money in bunches!

See Also: How Bell Apple Is The Newest Business Opportunity In Nigeria

You may be new into farming or has been farming but hasn’t cared enough to consider banana and plantain as all that important.

But with the above brief analysis, we are encouraging you to give it a trial, with the assurance that if done properly,  you will not regret it.

For those interested in plantain/banana cultivation, we will be glad to provide you with just enough knowledge needed to go into its farming and take part of the profits that those already in the business are enjoying.

Guidelines For Starting Banana Farming in Nigeria

Hear what a man said with regards to Banana farming in Nigeria: “I was shocked to realize that I was largely to blame for the poverty I was wallowing in. Since I started plantain and banana farming, things have turned around for good for me and my family.”

1. Look For The Right Climate

Plantain and banana have one thing in common and that is, they thrives very well in an average climate that is neither too hot nor very cold. They do well in naturally fertilized soil or thick compost manure. Having them in groups is another tricks to getting good harvest because they protect each other from harsh rays of the sun.

Alternatively, if there are other trees to provide needed shades that could help to maintain the humidity of the environment, that would suffice.

See Also: How To Secure Agric Loans In Nigeria

2. Get Healthy Suckers

Bananas and Plantain are not grown like other plants. They are grown through suckers and as such, choosing healthy suckers goes a long way to producing healthy harvests. Always use suckers from matured and dying plantain or banana plants.

3. Transplant

While transplanting, make sure that the corm or the roots at the bottom is trimmed properly to facilitate good growths. Give five meters gap between plants and keep the plants moist at the early days. Do not over wet the soil because the leaves are not yet out for much water evaporation.

Banana And Plantain Farming

Banana And Plantain Suckers

4. Maintain The Banana Farm

Apply any method to have it protected from strong winds. Throwing the dead plantain leaves back into the plantation is good to sustain the needed manure for good growth.

See Also: How To Start Cucumber Farming In Nigeria

Do not leave much suckers to be attached with a plant as two are usually enough. Cultivating plantain or banana doesn’t usually cost much except the initial capital to secure the land and plant the suckers after which the plants keeps growing unassisted.

Once it starts to produce, another form of work involved is to make sure that strong winds doesn’t get freely into the plantation as that could lead to the falling of the banana trees.

5. Cost of Starting a Banana Farming

Starting a plantain or banana farm is not in any way expensive if you have a sizable land. The only thing that you would spend little money on is the clearing of the farmland and buying of the suckers for planting.

Banana And Plantain Plantation

Banana And Plantain Plantation

For an acre of land, you may spend less than N300,000 to have every thing done and that includes clearing as the needs may be until the first harvest.

Once a plantain plantation picks up, the owner stands the chance of continuous harvest for the next 20-years or more depending on how the farm is maintained.

6. Recommended Species

The best breeds to go for is the ‘hybrid/agbagba’ species. This is a good specie because apart from producing on time when properly taken care of, its usually very big and long, making people to compare it with elephant trunks.

Maintaining the plants doesn’t entail more than heaping soil around the suckers, removing of the unwanted suckers, fertilization, mulching and weeding once in a while.

See Also: How To Start Charcoal Export From Nigeria And Make Dollars

Starting a banana or plantain farming is very lucrative because any amount you realized in the first harvest, be sure that with less hard work, you will have an increase the next harvest. You will be making an increment year by year till the next 20 years or there about.

Though the business is lucrative, here is the advice from long time farmers, ‘The size of your farm should depend on the size of your dream, creativity, and innovation. Avoid taking on too much than you can be able to handle financially and in terms of personnel’. Besides, embracing modern farming practices, seeds and technology, be passionate about what you do and give your plantain and banana farming additional time’.

“I had always dreamed of becoming a big farmer. Naturally, I was inclined to the agriculture sector, in which I believed I had some basic skills to do a decent job.”

These are the words of a long time banana farmer in Nigeria who have achieved countless of his dream goals through agribusiness and banana farming in particular.

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38 Comments

  • Hamman Buba Ghide February 8, 2016

    I really enjoy this site keep it up. God will reward you abundantly. You will remain blessed till eternity for imparting knowledge for those who care to seek the knowledge and take advantage of what they learn hear and utilize it well. Once again God bless you.

  • Jay February 10, 2016

    Wow,
    But please if I have a plot of land, can I still venture into this? and how much would this generate on the average?

    Thank you

  • Alumona February 16, 2016

    I have no land to fo this but am interested what do I do, and how can I get the plant

  • Abiola February 22, 2016

    How can i venture into this am interested. which area is good to find land. Can you teach how to start it practically.

  • Janet Toyo March 12, 2016

    I have been thinking seriously about going into farming even though I know nothing about it, and I want to start with the plantain and banana plantation. Please I need all the necessary guides, including capital for a starter (land excluded). Thanks

  • Taiwo April 18, 2016

    Hello,i think i need ur contact because i have interest in agric Biz and that has being on my mind and i have opportunity because i grew up in farm and we have being letting our Cocoa farm out since like 11yrs ago after d departure of our Parent. But recently after i Graduated from University through part term sch. and things about farming started coming to me and i hope i can get d connection (information Wise)necessary for me to take d advantage of Farming as an educated person to get d benefit my Parent do not have through farming. Thank u

    • SHAKIRAH May 20, 2016

      SARAB Agroconsultant, FARM manager,farm consultant in production, supplying of seeds,seedlings,hybrid plantain sucker/plantlet, maize seeds ,cucumber seeds,vegetable seed, cassava stem and others.
      HYBRIDE PLANTAIN PLANTLET
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      MOBILE/CONTACT;08133354055

  • TAIWO May 23, 2016

    I AM INTRESTED IN MAKING PLANTAIN FLOUR,PLEASE CAN YOU INTRODUCE A SUPPLIER FOR THE MACHINE

    REQUIRE FOR THE PRODUCTION THANKS.

  • TAIWO May 23, 2016

    Iam intrested in making plantain flour,please can you introduce a supplier of the machine

    require to produce the product thanks

  • taiwo May 23, 2016

    Iam intrested in making plaintain flour,please can you introduce a supplier of machine

    require to produce the product thanks

  • ARO June 2, 2016

    Thanks for the information

  • Matthew Emmanuel June 7, 2016

    Thanks for enlighten me more, I really benefit from this.
    I will want to know more,Pls keep updating me.

  • Baribor June 19, 2016

    I am very much interested in banana and plantain farming because I know its demand is very high which make it very lucrative. Though time, labour finance is required at the start, as it grows less time, labour and finance is required. My constraint now is land and finance. If there is any useful guide on how to get a start-up grant I will appreciate. I really want to exploit mechanise farming. And please can you make more link available on how to get the high breed sucker.
    Thank you and God bless.

  • Yusuf June 22, 2016

    I would like to know if Banana/Plantain would do well in areas like Ilorin, Kwara state.

  • KELLIE KEKURA JALLOH July 11, 2016

    Thanks for an article like this. I have been thinking about going into commercial farming for a very long time now. But i believe this is the opportune time haven gone through this article.It educates, motivate and arose my awareness to the benefits of agriculture with particular reference to creating employment and income generation.
    I have the land and the capacity to start a commercial farm but lack the knowledge of what particular type of farming I could probably start. Now I have interest in Banana and plantains which I believe its suitable for the available land. Thanks a lot.

  • dejiworldwide July 31, 2016

    How to sell the banana plantain in large quantity can you advice. Please

  • Halleluyah September 24, 2016

    Thanks Darlington for this enlightenment. It’s very instructive and educative! I have been in paid employment for about 20years and have been thinking how to explore this abandoned sector for better advantage. I am particularly interested in plantain, banana and cocoa farming. Which part of the country is good for banana and cocoa farming? Can you link with experts in these areas that one could leverage on their experience?

    many thanks for been a blessing – Halleluyah

    • Darlinton Omeh September 24, 2016

      Ondo State has plenty of good lands suitable for cocoa, banana, and plantain farming. Go there and see for yourself. Thank you

  • Prince December 14, 2016

    I know of a place in Ogun state at Ilaro side that is very very good for plantain planting. That is what i do to know more you may call me on 08079115152 or whatssap on 08114584367.

  • Toki Lad May 16, 2017

    Thanks Darlington for this post and to all other contributors. I am really a novice when it comes to farming, can you please tell me what size land would be required to make Banana/Plantain farming, commercially viable?

  • Yusuf July 31, 2017

    Thank for the information given here. Pls can u give us a break down on I mean financial implications and other things require to venture into plantain farming…..also can u develop a presentable business proposal for its thanks

  • segun September 5, 2017

    how can i have a profitable market for plantain in southwestern part of Nigeria?

  • Anyanta Chibuike Enyinnaya September 30, 2017

    From your analysis, one risk is deduced that is ‘wind’ please, what are the ways to manage the effect of wind on the plantation?

  • LUCKY OKOLO October 4, 2017

    There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that banana farming is a very lucrative business in Nigeria now. To make this dream come true for Nigerians, our company Katawa farmland has thousands of hectares of land for sale at Koba Pe, along Sagamu-Abeokuta expressway and Ido, Ibadan which is suitable for banana farming and is currently going for a promo price of N700,000 per acre. Call Lucky, on 09073119742 for further details.

  • Taiwo Solomon sunday December 11, 2017

    Am interest sir how someone can go about it.

  • Azubuike Blessing January 17, 2018

    I want to inventure into plantation and banana buisiness but I dont know how to start it,advise me.

  • Rapsohdy March 27, 2018

    what are the estimation cost of plantain and banana plantation farm, Pls help

  • Please how can I get banana suckers – the dwarf type

  • Uche uchechukwu August 13, 2018

    What is the cost of hybrid sucker and can I get it

  • aiah yambi January 15, 2019

    hi, thank you for your excellent knowledge. i have some capital but i have no idea in agriculture and i am interested : in Banana , plantain, oil palm, cocoa, orange, and cocoa yam farming.

  • Enemokwu samson March 23, 2019

    please how can i get it in my area Asaba in Delta state,i am so much interested

  • Olaiya Sunday May 15, 2019

    Many thanks for the information. Am highly interested in plantain and banana plantation. Please I need information on how to access good sucker, if your company can also detail someone to assist in planting at cost and also can someone get good market at Ikea Osun State for large plantation.
    Thanks.

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