The Plantain crop does not have seeds like grains but is propagated through through its sucker or slip. It is also referred to as the CORM.
A MAJOR constraint to the expansion of plantain cultivation is the scarcity of healthy planting materials. Farmers usually depend on natural regeneration of plants for the supply of planting materials. This is a very slow process that often produces small numbers of planting materials that are usually contaminated by various soilborne pathogens such as nematodes.
Transplanting of the contaminated materials often spreads nematodes and shortens the lifetime of plantations to only one or two
cycles of cultivation, beyond which lodging occurs. Source
TIMELINE BEFORE PLANTLETS CAN BE READY FOR TRANSPLANTING TO THE FIELD (10-12 weeks depending on the climatic condition and variety)
- Primary bud sprouting: – 3-4 weeks (depending on the climatic condition and variety)
- Secondary bud sprouting: – 2 weeks
- Rooting of detached plantlets: – 2 weeks
- Acclimatization: – 3-4 weeks
MACRO-PROPAGATION ADVANTAGE
- Up to 10 suckers can be gotten per month
- 100% Disease-free
- Uniform planting material; synchronized harvest
- Fast field establishment
- Higher yield
- Early fruiting
- Rapid growth
- Produce up to 10 disease-free suckers from a single sucker in just 3weeks!
- Planting material can be obtained all year round
PRODUCTION COST FOR A SMALL SCALE MACRO-PROPAGATION FACILITY
- Propagator (1.5m by 15m) + Shade (Thatched) = N100,000
- Initial suckers at N50 each x 300pcs = N18,000
- Substrates and plant care requirement = N30,500
- Nursery bags 3 pks of 1000 = N15,000
- Labour cost = N30,000
A – Total = N193,500
Each sucker produces 10 plantlets = 300 x 10, totaling 3000 plantlets
B- Revenue: Sales of plantlets at N120 each = N360,000
C- Net Profit: B – A = N166,500 (Cycle 1)
Net Profit: B = N360,000 (Cycle 2)
B = N360,000 (Cycle 3)
One Cycle = 4 months
D- Annual Profit = N886,500
Note:
The costs above vary based on market demand and location
Plantain sucker production is a very lucrative business with a high return on investment.
Read on How to Grow Hybrid Plantain Commercially: Click Here
Watch videos HERE