COMMON MISTAKES IN PLANTAIN FARMING AS BEGINNERS
Don’t make this mistakes when venturing into Plantain farm.
1_Mistake of buying unhealthy suckers ( make sure the suckers you are buying to setup your farm is well treated, healthy and disease Free to avoid loosing your money and plants to diseases like pathogens, weevils and nematodes..
Untreated suckers or plantlets causes stunted growth, poor seed production and small size fruiting.
Always get suckers from a reliable source.
2_Mistake of Acquiring infected lands( you see most times when you experience poor plant performance and growth, it’s not usually caused by the suckers you purchased no matter how healthy the suckers are, if your land is infected with either nematodes or fungi, the plants will be affected too therefore transferring the disease to the plants and any other sucker that will be transplanted in the same farm will be infected too.
so you have to make sure u fumigate the land if you are not sure that the land isn’t contacted with diseases.
3_Mistakes of Planting horn Plantain species, most especially those that are venturing into Plantain farm for commercial purpose should avoid HORN PLANTAIN SEEDLINGS, SUCKERS OR PLANTLETS.
Horn Plantain are not advisable for commercial purpose as the produce few fingers that’s sometimes not upto 15 finger in a bunch but each finger is large In size.
It’s always advisable to go for Hybrid and false horn (Improved variety). this ones Produces full bunches and also large In size.
4_Mistake of expecting to harvest 100% of your plants per annum.
this has always been the issue I face with most online Farmers, as they will sell lies to you in other to get your patronage.
No farmer harvest 100% of his Plantain at the same time and the same month. For your first year of harvest, you need lots of patience as some crops might even Take upto 15 months to mature.
Always take the first year of Planting as the experimental and practical year of business.
Dont expect 100% harvest.
No one exercises patience more than the Plantain Farmers ohhh.
Plantain Farming no be overnight Millionaire turner, it’s a gradual process with patients.
Being patient, steady and focused is the key to make it big time in Plantain and banana Farming.
Credit: Henry Okey