How to Start a Banana Farm

Stating a banana farm is rather straightforward and rewarding.  Bananas are a highly sort after fruit both locally and internationally.

A country like Ghana exports a huge amount of their banana produce to foreign countries. Thereby attracting lots of foreign exchange and providing job opportunity for locals.

The plants once established continuously propagate and produce young. This provides a continuous trend of growth, harvesting and sales.

The farm requires appropriate land, fertile soil and proper irrigation. Knowledge of growing techniques and quality suckers will provide a bountiful yield. They thrive in tropical climates are group plants and self propagate.

Learn How to grow Bananas

It is important you learn how to farm banana. Understand the growth pattern, best planting season, soil composition and pest control.

Other things to learn are harvesting, complementary plants, irrigation methods and marketing. Learn through practical experience on banana farm lands or hire an expert. Learn through online resources, books and practical workshops.

How to Start a Plantain and Banana Farm

Farming Environment

Banana plants are found in the tropics and require good composite soil. The farmland should be properly irrigated with proper drainage system and organic fertilizer soil.

The plants are seasonal and produce large bunch of fruits per plant. They also require shade plants, humidity and rainfall to grow.

Factors Limiting Production

There are a few factors that limit production of the plant in most countries. Some include inadequate farm lands and poor maintenance.

Others are low income of farmers and unavailability of startup funds. Other factors that militate in poor harvest are pests, drought, low rainfall and infestation. More are low access to organic fertilizers, poor farming techniques and low quality suckers.

• inadequate farm lands
• poor maintenance
• low income of farmers
• unavailability
• pests
• drought
• low rainfall
• infestation
• low access to organic fertilizers
• poor farming techniques
• Low quality suckers.

Business Planning

Before venturing into the business you need to write a banana farm business plan. The plan should focus on procurement of stock, securing adequate farmland and labor.

Others are adequate water supply, procuring organic fertilizer and funding. Once you have written the plan carry out a feasibility study of your locality. This should cover transportation, location, pricing and marketing.

Starting a Plantain Farm

Crop Scheduling

Banana plants grow well during the rainy season. Therefore transplant the suckers just before the advent of rains is important.

Plant them 5 meters apart and make sure the roots are tendered and soil adequately moist. Remove all shrubs, grass or competitive plants on the farm land.

Farm Layout

It is important you provide a good layout before planting. The field should be cleared of shrubs, stones, weeds and roots.

Develop a planting and spacing system and appropriate proper planting materials. Other requirements are sucker selection, de-suckering and de-leafing. You could develop a nursery for the suckers and provide adequate fertilizer.

Staggering Planting

 Serious banana framers use a method by staggering the planting of the suckers. This is done in one or two month intervals. The reason is to achieve fruiting at different times to have regular supply of fruits for the market.

Farm Maintenance

To achieve bountiful yield make sure the plants receive adequate water. Employ casual labor to weed and tens the plant for maximum yield. Refrain from using any synthetic chemicals on your plants and focus only on safe organic farming methods.

Irrigation Management

You need to provide an effective irrigation system. The plant demands adequate water and provide an effective drainage system.

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Growth Duration

New verities of plants are steadily being developed in the laboratories to produce larger and faster yield.  Each fully grown banana plants produce fruit at least once a year. Amazingly the plant propagates, dies and produces new plants upwards of 15 years.

Marketing

There is a huge market for banana produce locally and internationally. The fruit is used in manufacturing companies, restaurants, fruit markets and stalls.

It has both domestic and international demand. The amount of money you make depends on the size of your harvest, quality of produce, price and location.

How to Start a Banana Farm

• Write a business plan
• Carry out a feasibility study
• Learn the business
• Procure farm land
• Irrigate, fertilize the soil
• Procure quality sucker
• Hire casual laborers
• Plan, water, maintain
• Harvest
• Sell the produce