Plantain farming in Nigeria is
another secret cash machine that a lot of people are really ignoring. On this
article we are going to look into it and to see how it works. Unlike other cash
crops that really require so much time and money to maintain, plantain is very
easy to cultivate and maintain.
Furthermore, plantain farming is a
low capital agribusiness and almost every Nigerian soil is good for cultivating
it. Anybody in Nigeria that has any land with loamy soil can start plantain
farming on the land. Actually plantain is one of the staple foods that are very
popular in the tropical regions. This cash crop is the tenth most important
food staple that feed people of all race around the continent.
Steps on how to start
plantain farming Nigeria
1. A proper land that has good soil:
Like I said earlier, loamy soils are really the best producing soils for
plantain farming because they contain a good organic to inorganic ratio. Actually
organic materials like decaying plants and insects really provide the soil with
air, nutrients and water-retaining matter. The combination of these ingredients
when combined with other mineral particles will allows the soil to remain loose
and fertile. Organically rich soils are shallow in the tropical rain forests
part of Nigeria, plantains will only thrive for 1 to 3 years then die back
because the layer of organic matter is easily depleted. In other to avoid depletion
it is very important to provide the soil with compost and mulch.
2. The preparation of the soil for
planting: To prepare the soil for planting the land need to be cleared and trees
need to be cut down. Actually plantain plant really grow best in bunches or
groups because they protect each other from the harsh rays of the sun. It is
very necessary to create an enable environment where the plantain plants are
sheltered either because they are bunched up together or there are other trees
to protect them. It is also very vital to maintain the humidity of the plantain
plantation by allowing some of the trees to remain for the purpose of
protecting the plantain plant from excessive sun.
3. You need to get plantain suckers: Don’t
forget that a plantain plant is not a tree but a type of herb. Plantain plant cannot
be grown from seeds like most trees, they are grown through suckers. Actually plantain
suckers grow from a dying, mature plantain plant and it can be transplanted and
re-grown. Plantain suckers are considered as baby plants that are used to start
new plantain plants. Make sure you choose suckers from plants that are
vigorous, and also make sure they are having small, spear shaped leaves and they
are about 4 feet high.
Furthermore, every
mature plantain tree has a corm at the bottom. If you are transplanting the
sucker, it is very important to cut downwards and get as much corm and root as
possible. Then plant it and cut or decapitate the sucker to facilitate good
evaporation. Make sure you keep around 2 to 5 meters between planted suckers. Make
sure you keep the plantain plant moist in there early days but not too wet as
they don’t have leaves yet to evaporate the water.
4. Weed control in plantain plant: If
you actually want the plantain to do very well, weed control is very important.
You can use traditional weed control by employing laborer to do the weed
cutting. As the plantain plant is
growing it is very important to also protect the plant from strong winds. Also it
is necessary to keep it watered. You can also sprinkle fertilizer once in a
while, although throwing the plantain plant dead leaves back into the plant is
enough to sustain the rich quality of the soil. Unlike most trees, plantain
plant do not actually need complicated pruning. You can just remove the dead
leaves and the dead plants near the plantain.
The plantain plant will
be ready to produce within eight to ten months. As one of the plantain plants
are getting matured for harvest another one is replacing it, they will continue
in that circle removing any stress expenses of planting again. The only thing
you will be doing is to harvest and reap your profits all year round.
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