How to Start Banana Plantation | Business Ideas

A banana plantation is a commercial agricultural facility found in tropical climates where bananas are grown. Unlike starting other tree farms and orchards, starting a banana farm and growing bananas are easier and less complicated. Although growing bananas still require ones attention, the level of skill required is not as intensive as other trees. 

Banana growing is a significant economic engine in many banana exporting countries because it is labor-intensive, delivers a relatively quick return on effort and investment, provides a weekly income year round, and the crop recovers quickly from hurricanes and other natural disasters. Banana industry exports worldwide total over 100 million tons in a market which generates over US$5 Billion per year and employs millions of workers. 

Banana plants may grow with varying degrees of success in diverse climatic conditions, but commercial banana plantations are primarily found in equatorial regions, in banana exporting countries. The four leading banana export countries worldwide are Ecuador, Costa Rica, Philippines, and Colombia. Ecuador provides more than 33% of the global banana export. In 2004, banana producing countries totaled 130. Production, as well as exports and imports of bananas, are nonetheless concentrated in a few equatorial countries. 75% of total banana production in 2004 was generated in 10 counties. India, Ecuador, Brazil and China produced half of total bananas. Latin American and Caribbean countries lead banana production up to the 1980s, and Asian nations took the lead in banana production during the 1990s. African production levels have remained mostly unchanged.

Farming techniques on banana plantations

Banana plantations generally follow one of four major agricultural techniques: 

• Intensive farming 
• Sustainable farming
• Organic farming
• Fair trade farming.

Intensive banana farming

Intensive Banana Farming is an agricultural technique which requires clearing most if not all native vegetation from tracts of land, then densely planting and fertilizing the crop. It produces the highest yield of fruit per acre, and is viewed by environmental scientists as a technique which involves a history of high risk for damage to the local environment and health risk to the agricultural workers.

Sustainable banana farming

As with broader sustainable agriculture, sustainable banana production aims to integrate three main goals: environmental stewardship, farm profitability, and prosperous farming communities. Producing goods without depleting an ecosystem's natural resources is a key goal of sustainable banana farming. The further goals of farm profitability and prosperous farming communities address free market viability issues which might threaten the viability of the business, rendering the ecological sustainability efforts moot. Because of the lower per-acre crop yield and higher wage cost intrinsic to this type of farming, profitability is addressed by the introduction of a price premium charged for the product at market. Such premiums are readily paid by a segment of the consumer market which places a value on the benefits of sustainable farming.

Organic banana farming

According to the United Nations, "no information is available regarding how many hectares are currently under conversion or how many producers are planning to convert to organic production methods." However major banana producers indicate they are responding to demands for organic bananas with new facilities tailored to that market.

Fair Trade banana farming

Some consumers are willing to pay a premium price for a product, including bananas, if the means of production are consistent with the philosophies of Fair Trade. The United Nations has published a description of fair trade banana production which states, "for banana producers this means they obtain a price which covers the cost of production and an additional price premium to be invested in social, environmental or quality improvements."

Here are a few guidelines in growing bananas and starting a banana farm:

The first thing to consider in starting a banana farm is looking for the right climate. Bananas cannot thrive in an environment that is too hot or too cold. The ideal climate for bananas is the tropical climate with temperature ranging from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius. Below 14 degrees and the bananas would die. Banana plants also need good irrigation and humidity. The banana plantation must have a good drainage system as they need to be watered at least three times a day to keep the humidity. A rich, naturally fertilized soil is the ideal for planting bananas. If such is not available, one can create compost and add chicken manure. Banana plants also grow best in bunches or groups because they protect each other from the harsh rays of the sun. It is important to create an environment where the banana plants are sheltered either because they are bunched up together or there are other trees to protect them. It is important to maintain the humidity of the banana plantation.

Considering that a banana plant is not a tree but a type of herb, they cannot actually be grown from seeds like most trees. Banana plants are grown through suckers. Suckers are those that grow from a dying, mature banana plant that can be transplanted and re-grown. They may be considered as baby plants that are used to start new banana plants. Choose suckers from plants that are vigorous. They should have small, spear shaped leaves and are about four feet high.

There is a corm at the bottom of each mature banana tree. In transplanting a sucker, it is necessary to cut downwards and get as much corm and root as possible. Plant these and cut or decapitate the sucker to facilitate good evaporation. Keep around two to five meters between planted suckers. In the early days of your plant, keep them moist but not too wet as they don’t have leaves yet to evaporate the water.

As the banana grows, it is important to protect it from strong winds. It is also important to keep it well watered. One can also sprinkle fertilizers every now and then but mostly throwing the bananas dead leaves back into the plant is enough to sustain the rich quality of the soil. Unlike other trees, bananas do not need complicated pruning. Just remove dead leaves and dead plants near the banana. Also remove suckers from the plant keeping only one or two that have spear shaped leaves.

Broadly, you need to ensure the following:

• Soil type
• Water type (could do a test at the local lab)
• Labour availability - You will need to plant, remove grass, give fertilizers from time to time
• Daily Managers (depends if you want to look after the farm personally or through a manager)
• Funds
• Fertilizer availability
• Government schemes available (could visit the website or the local office dealing with farmers)
• Water availability
• Dripo system
• Procurement of banana saplings
• planning in terms of the time required to grow and the market available at the time the produce is out
• Market Price that you would get to know the feasibility of entering into farming
• Do not engage in having anything other than banana plantation in your farm.
• Very important - Have the land in which you intend to undertake farming in your name. Own it.

Tips

• Banana plantations, as well as growing the fruit, may also package, process, and ship their product directly from the plantation to worldwide markets. Depending on the scope of the operation, a plantation's size may vary from a small family farm operation to a corporate facility encompassing large tracts of land, multiple physical plants, and many employees.
  
• Production-related activities on a plantation may include cultivating and harvesting the fruit, transporting the picked bunches to a packing shed, hanging to ripen in large bunches, dividing large bunches into smaller market-friendly bunches, sorting, labeling, washing, drying, packing, boxing, storing, refrigeration, shipping, and marketing. Depending on the scope of the operation, other activities may include drying, food preparation, tourism, and market research.
  
• Bananas will grow and fruit under poor soil conditions but will be less productive without deep, well-drained soil; forest loam, rocky sand, marl, red laterite, volcanic ash, sandy clay, or even heavy clay. The key element in soil type for successful banana plant growth is good drainage. Alluvial soils of river valleys are ideal for banana growing. Bananas prefer an acid soil.
  
• Labor conditions in the banana industry have historically drawn attention both in criticism of the traditionally poor industry working conditions, and more recently in attempts by labor advocacy groups and some producers to improve labor conditions

Reference

• Banana Plantation
• Starting a Banana Farm