How To Start Plantain Farming Business In Nigeria (2024)

One of the secret cash machines that many people tend to ignore under agriculture is the plantain farming business in Nigeria. Plantain is hardly difficult to cultivate and keep, unlike other cash crops. It is a low-capital requirement farming crop.

Almost every Nigerian soil is good for the plant contrary to what scientists will say, as experience has shown. Therefore, when you have some land with loamy soil, you’re good to go.

Plantains are a staple food in the tropical areas of the planet, the tenth most important basic that feeds the world. Plantains are treated in much the exact same manner as potatoes and with a similar neutral flavor and texture when the unripe fruit is cooked by steaming, boiling, or frying.

How To Start Plantain Farming Business In Nigeria

Plantain fruit grows throughout the year, which makes the crop a more reliable all-season staple food, especially in developing countries with inadequate food preservation, storage, and transport technologies like Nigeria. In Africa, plantains and bananas provide more than 25 percent of the carbohydrate requirements for over 70 million people that is estimated to consume it.

You may be wondering how plantain farming can make you millions of naira annually as we say, with a rather little capital. We’ve seen the results and that is why we want to take you by the hand and show you. If you’re serious about making serious money, the best way to put plantain and market it in Nigeria and particularly abroad, using the foolproof approach we use has been detailed here.

Do not be mistaken, the plantain which you eat nearly regularly brings in millions of naira to the pockets of a few Nigerians and you are entitled to know the secret behind this now; unless you’re not sure if making money is your strong point.

Plantain as a significant staple food in many developing countries, like Africa, supplies income and food security for small-scale farmers who represent the vast majority of producers.

We will highlight how we get good plantains to plant, what we do to cause them to become huge and significant, and exactly how we promote them profitably both locally and worldwide for consistent cash flow in naira and foreign currencies.

Brief History Of Plantains

Plantains, like bananas, are believed to have originated in southeast Asia, having been cultivated in south India by 500 BC. From here, it was spread by ancient trade routes through Madagascar to Africa.

By 1000 AD, plantains had propagated eastward to Samoa and Japan. It arrived by 1500 AD in the Caribbean and Latin America. Since that time, it has spread widely throughout the tropics.

How Successful Is Plantain Farming In Nigeria?

The four leading companies in plantain farming and harvest, were Nigeria, Colombia, Rwanda, and Ghana. The per capita consumption of plantain in this Nigeria is 250 kilograms annually; the highest in the world.

Nigeria is one of the biggest plantain-producing nations in the world. Among plantain-exporting states, as it produces more for local consumption than for export, Nigeria has not been featured despite its visibility.

Its importance is shown by national per capita consumption figures relative to other starch basics. Yet, these figures do not reveal regional reliance, which will be often essential for highly perishable crops that generally have in or near aspects of creation.

Plantain Exportation And Local Consumption In Nigeria

Exportation and the consumption of plantain have increased tremendously in Nigeria in recent years due to the rapidly extending urbanization and a great need for simple and convenient foods from the non-farming urban populations.

Plantain is a flavored and delicacy bite for individuals in other ecologies besides being the basis for most people in more humid areas. Primarily plantain chips, a growing business, are considered to cause the high demand being experienced in Nigeria.

The number of farms creating plantain in Nigeria is quite few, now and this makes the demand for it rewarding and high. The plantain marketplace is young and not packed. That is why we want you to be a part of this. Don’t you want to tap into this wealth-making enterprise?

Plantain farming is an extremely successful business in Nigeria as a bunch of plantain containing 5 plantains sell for nothing less than N500. The wonder of the business is you could sell the market to people at a higher cost. You can even export it to other countries in Africa and even across the shores of Africa.

We will demonstrate how to do this too. But, let us assume you’re selling them here so, we can do an easy calculation:

Feasibility Of The Plantain Farming Business

If you harvest 800 plantain bunches and you sell them at N1,500 per bunch in its mature state, you will earn N1,200,000. The 800 plantain suckers we have used are only a rough estimate of the lucrative nature of the business and how buoyant the plant can flourish.

Now envision having a land that can contain 4,000 plantain plants. Can you see how lucrative this is? The worst case scenario is to sell at N650 per group of 7 plantains, which will give you N2,600,000 for the 4,000 suckers you planted annually.

Do you also know that it is quite easy to find acceptable plantain farming areas where you are able to get the property for a cheap cost in Nigeria, even to have a sizable parcel of land like an acre?

Where Can You Start Plantain Farming?

You can start with a plot of land and the capital you’ve got is dependent on that, then raise the farming space when you observe your level of income is growing and focus on a plot of land. Also note that as you make more harvest, there would be no need to purchase the suckers anymore. Is this not profitable?

Unlike starting tree farms and orchards, growing a plantain plantation or a plantain farm is less complicated and easier. Although growing plantain still needs the commitment of one, the level of skill required isn’t as intensive as other trees.

Plantains thrive in tropical regions. Adequate moisture, bright sun, and warm temperatures create optimum growing surroundings. Tropical grounds, nevertheless, aren’t at all times suitable for plantain production.

Tropical areas of the world, like the plantain-creating regions of southeastern Nigeria, regularly display soils that are ‘nutrient-poor’ according to scientists and ecological experts, however, experience has proved contrary as you can view.

Plantain Farming Business in Nigeria

Plantain farming is one of the most lucrative farm businesses in the country today. There is barely any part of Nigeria where you wouldn’t see plantain, which means it can do well on most Nigerian soil.

Should you reside in the Caribbean, Florida, India, and Africa notably around West Africa and Central Africa, one of the very most profitable businesses you’ll be able to go into if you are considering the agricultural sector will be to go into plantain farming.

West Africa happens to be one of the few places all over the world where plantain can be cultivated mainly since they will have the best ground composition that could support the growth of plantains plus they can boast of having over 100 species of plantain.

Capital Requirements

The capital needed to set up a plantain farm might be thought to be reasonable but it is definitely a very rewarding business to go into as an entrepreneur who lives in Nigeria or in virtually any country with a tropical climate. The basic thing you should do, to begin with, your own plantain farm is to procure farming acreage, prepare the land and cultivate your plantain.

Business Ventures

Plantain farming a very lucrative business is made by the reality that lots of people eat plantain. Plantains could be eaten when fried or cooked. Plantains can be processed into various kinds; they could be processed as plantain chips, amongst others, and they can be processed as juice.

Now let’s quickly go through the 7 steps to follow in order to begin your personal plantain farming from the scratch in any location of your choice;

Setting Up A Plantain Business Plan Template

Conduct Market Research 

Plantain does not grow in every parts of the country as viable as it may grow in some regions. You may be able to plant the suckers but would have a hard time harvesting the plants. There are selected regions where plantains grow bountifully while others where it is utterly unproductive. For instance, plantains usually do not grow in South Africa though it’s not in Nigeria.

So, should you need to go into plantain farming, it is essential that you simply run your research before committing your hard-earned money to plantain farming.

Your research exposes you to the most appropriate area to start your plantain farm; it will give you an idea of where to get plantain seeds (suckers) and the way to market your plantain.

Write a Business Plan

Every serious entrepreneur makes it a point of obligation to write an effective business plan that is workable before beginning a new business.

Consequently, write your company plan, and the right thing if you intend to start your own plantain farm to do, would be to sit back.

Your business plan must be able to capture each of the strategies you would use to run your plantain farm business, your vision and mission statement, and your expansion strategies et al.

Once you have made up your mind to commercialize your plantain farm, you need to write a quality business plan. A good business plan shows the seriousness of your farm business. It gives you a head start on how the business will go and makes you see that you are in it to win it (To make a profit).

Acquire Appropriate Farmland

This is the next phase of starting your farm business, every farmer knows that acquiring farmland is one of the most major aspects of farming. Plantain is known to grow only in areas with a tropical climate.

So, should you want to start your personal plantain farm, you need to make sure you obtain suitable property together with the proper soil composition for your own plantain farm. If you like to go into commercial plantain farming on average, you may need at least 2 hectares of land.

Prepare Your Farm Land

Once your farmland is secured, the next step is to ensure that the soil composition on the land supports plantain farming, and that it has a PH value type of soil.

After you have ascertained this, clear and prepare your farmland, dig up holes where you can plant the sucker(plantain seeds).

Once the suckers are planted, after cultivating/harvesting, the plantains will just continue to reproduce more trees.

Source For Viable Suckers 

One essential variable that could affect your plans to start your personal plantain farm is how to source suckers (plantain seeds) in big amounts. Plantain grows rapidly and they procreate without pressure after they’re put in a suitable land.

Hire Laborers

Running a plantain farm is not a business that someone could run alone. You’ll want laborers to help you. You’d need laborers to assist you in clearing and preparing your farmland, you’ll need laborers to help you in planting the plantains, you’d need in watering your plantain farm laborers to assist you, you’d need laborers to help you during harvest as well as to assist you to weed your farm.

One good thing about farm laborers is that they are cheaper simply because they are considered unskilled. But if a mechanized plantain farm is operating, subsequently you’ll have to up your budget to adapt operators and machinery

Weed and Parasite Control With Herbicides and Pesticides

There are chemicals specifically used to control weeds around plants. It is highly effective and recommended, but note that it will constitute a good percentage of your farming expenses at the end of the farming season.

Harvesting

Plantain starts maturing from the 8 months and you can start harvesting them a month or two after they’ve matured to your satisfaction. Ensure to always check on your plantains from time to time in order for them not to over-ripe or rot before you harvest.

Something about plantain farming is the fact that if you are not minded in harvesting your plantain when they’re due, it could become overripe and get rotten (spoilt) and that may mean poor business for you personally. So, when you know the cycle of plantain farming, you then need to make plans to pick and sell your plantain at the correct time to ensure that you won’t run at a loss.

Marketing Your Plantain 

The marketplace for plantain is not small so as a plantain farmer, you must explore all the avenues that are available to market your plantains when they become ripe for harvesting. You and you can market your plantain and it, respectively to plantain retailers.

Plantain farming company is made an incredibly profitable business by the fact that a lot of people consume plantain and will be processed into different types. So ensure that you create a great marketing strategy for your own farming business that is plantain if indeed you would like to maximize gains in the business.

With plantain as a staple food that is widely eaten in Nigeria, you are sure of always having a constant demand for your product. Sometimes, before your plantain matures, buyers will already be on standby to get them off your hands.

For example, let’s say you already acquire one hectare of land and planted 1,000 suckers(plantain seeds). In your first harvest after 8/9 months, you’re sure to get your money back and make a profit as well, because you can still come back to the same farmland and harvest more plantains.

So far, I’m sure you can tell this farm business is sure banking.

FAQs On Plantain Farming