Plantain And Its Derivative

Plantain farming is one of the most lucrative farming prospect in Nigeria. An all season, stable and
reliable food. Plantain is a high source of carbohydrates thus, there is a large market for it. It can be
processed into many other edibles and non-edible substance used by many people and this makes it a
profitable venture.
Lands with loamy soil are best for plantain cultivation because of its right soil proportion that enables
plantain to grow well. The soil must be well prepared and well drained because young plantain plants do
not do well in wet conditions. Also, plantains unlike most other trees cannot be propagated from seeds,
they are most often propagated from suckers and sourcing for suckers in large quantities is a key factor
in starting plantain farming because with this, the plantains grow rapidly and reproduces without stress
and the farm can be sustained for decades without need for suckers’ replacement.
Plantain farming is not a one man thing especially if it’s a big farm. Laborers would be needed to
help in preparing lands, planting suckers, water the plantains, removing the weeds and harvesting the
plantains. If a mechanized plantain farm is to be run, machineries and operators cannot be excluded.
Weed control is a key aspect in plantain farming because a large number of weeds infest plantain
plantation especially in the early months after planting before plants produce enough leaves that would
enable the shading off of weeds. This must be taking care of to enable a bountiful harvest and the
traditional method of controlling weed is by cutting and pulling out of weeds.
For the plantains to grow well, it is important to care for it. It must be watered regularly and
fertilized at least once in a week, NPK fertilizers or fertilizers with Nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus
are best chemicals to use for plantain farm. We can also sustain the soil and keep it fertilized by
throwing the plantains dead leaves back into the soil, it serves as a manure to the soil and it helps in the
growth of the trees, this is also important in order to protect the plants from strong wind. Plantains do
not need constant pruning (removal of certain parts of the plant) just the removal of dead leaves and
plants so as to make the plantains ready to reproduce within 8-10 months of planting and the most
amazing thing about plantain is that , as one is getting mature for harvest, another one is replacing it. All
you need do is to relax and harvest your plantain all through the year.
But that being said, it is very crucial you make plans for the harvesting of your plantain so that all won’t
get ripe at the same time and end up getting rot. That would be a loss for you, so you have to master its
cycle so as to be able to harvest and market at the right period.
Plantain derivatives: it can be eaten raw when ripped, it can be used to make chips when ripped
/unripen, it can be processed into flour to make ‘Elubo’ (plantain flour), it can also be processed to make
baby foods, biscuits, bread, cakes, it also serves as industrial materials in some firms

The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways.- John F. Kennedy