Rising demand for plantain has created a new breed of farmers who have abandoned the traditional way of farming for a supposedly more lucrative aspect. Daniel Essiet reports.
A farmer, Shelu Abu, was tired of the meagre earnings from tomatoes and foods sales and planned to leave the country in search of greener pastures. His trip to Cameroun
made him to discover plantain cultivation as a goldmine.
He said: “One day, a friend of mine suggested we travel to Cameroun and from there, I could sneak into any country of my choice because I had no money then.
“When we got to Cameroun, I saw a farm close to where we were staying. I decided to apply for a job there since I studied agronomy. Fortunately, I was employed. What we do is that we plant the plantain suckers and when we harvest, they are taken to a production site where they are prepared for export to Europe and America.”
He added: “Before they finish packaging, buyers are already waiting to pick them up and I saw the kind of money coming in. We had about 300,000 suckers which multiplied. We were well paid so I told myself that the best thing is for me to go back to Nigeria and start my own farm.”
Abu‘s fortune changed for the better when he discovered the potential in plantain farming.
As a result, he set out to look for capital to see off his dream. He got in touch with other successful model farmers to learn more and got tips for starting off.
Shelu plantain farm in Ikorodu is one such farms that is successful. Its success is a testament to the fact that plantain farming could become a fledging industry.
The boom is partly due to the exploding market for plantain chips and increasing supply of plantain to top hotels and restaurants, where demand has gone up by 60 per cent. One of the benefits of plantain farming is that wastage is very minimal.
Shelu told The Nation that plantain farming is the business of the future for entrepreneurs and retirees.
“When I came back, I leased a plot of land and planted the 200 suckers I brought with me. People were mocking me, asking what on earth I was doing with plantain instead of getting a good job. After about eight months, I started harvesting.
“My plantain trees are up to 18 feet high; they are so tall because of the nutrients and the taller they are, the bigger the fruits,” he said, adding: “I was making N7,000 to N8,000 weekly. When I told the Baale (traditional ruler) of the area that I needed land for plantain farming, he pointed to this place (farm site) which was a thick forest then. He asked for only N5,000 and a bottle of Schnapps.
“So I told myself that I could plant 1,000 suckers or more, to multiply my income. I placed an order for 5,000 suckers and planted them. Before this time, I had approached a first generation bank for loan. I discussed with them, but they asked for land, or C of O. If I have all that, why would I go to the bank to ask for loan? he queried.
“It will be better to sell the land and use the money on the farm. If I have money, instead of using it to get C of O, I will put it in the farm. That is why I don’t bank with any bank in Nigeria. I save my money with my cooperative society because when I sold the idea to them, they bought it and came to my aid.
“I brought the bank here and explained to them that I have 40,000 suckers on the farm and even if I sell for N500, I will make the money and pay back.” When the bank refused, Shelu approached his cooperative group. They provided the money and we were able to plant 40,000 suckers on that land.
“When the plantain was six months old, I called the cooperative members and said, ‘look, there is war.’ When they came and saw the farm and the fruits, I told them the best thing is for us to buy the land. We discussed with the owners and they sold to us. The cooperative paid and kept the document thinking I would not be able to pay. But as I sold my plantain, I paid into their account and to God be the glory, I was able to offset the loan and I have 40 acres of land today.”
According to him, Plantain farming is good, anybody who goes into it will not have any problem because he will not need to weed. “One, you don’t weed, you use herbicides and harvesting is not stressful. Before it matures, buyers are already waiting. If you plant 60,000 suckers, you will be making about N800,000 weekly,” he said.
Since he started harvesting, he has created a lot of employment for people in this area. He has set up farms in various places for people. He told The Nation that one can be succe4ssfulit if one plants 1,000 suckers. “In first harvest, one can get his money back and make profit. After four months, one can come back to the same place and still harvest more,” he said.
According to him, the second harvest maybe better than the first as the trees would have multiplied to about 3,000.
The Chief Executive Officer, www.farmingbizsetup.com Opeyemi Lawson, said the demand for plantain in the country is high, with suppliers struggling to meet the demand.
To make money in the long term, he said, one has to prepare a business plan. He explained that plantain plantation has a long productive life and can be done alongside cocoa , which could feed one with good foreign exchange. Lawson has therefore, produced a plantain farming business plan/ feasibility study on five acres which are practicable across the farming belts.
A typical expenditure for five acres, include 5000 suckers at the rate of N100 per sucker N500, 000; cost of planting of suckers N250,000 at N50 per sucker, transportation N80,000,weeding four times in a year,N160,000 and fertilizer N25,000. He said the total expenditure would be N1,040, 000.
He said one could make twice as much profit in a year: “Plantain is a very lucrative business; a bunch of plantain costs N600-N800, some could be sold for a higher price in the market. Now imagine how much N800 could fetch when multiplied by 5,000- that translates to a whoping N4,000, 000,” he siad.
Another area one can make money, he said, is through plantain chip’s production.
His words: “Plantain chips production is one of the easiest businesses you can generate quick cash at home. With an initial startup capital of N15, 000, you can generate income of at least N10,000 per day when you are able to produce 1000 packets of plantain chips on daily basis. The street price for a small sachet pack of plantain chips sells for as much as N100 in Lagos and in other parts of Nigeria.”
To start plantain chips production business , he said one requires plantain chips cutter or table knife, big fry pan,portable nylon sealing machine, gas burner or kerosene stove and weighing scale.
The production materials include some bunch of ripe or unripe plantain,vegetable oil, table salt, sugar, plain packaging nylon or customised nylon and printed label.
