How To Start A Plantain Plantation With Little Capital In Zimbabwe

Starting a Plantain business here in Zimbabwe can be one of the easiest business to set up.
This isn’t like farm livestock’s where you have to act like a mother. Where you’ll have to pamper them throughout the day. If you’re not looking for their feed, then it will be the drugs or even their water pan which can be very exhausting. But in plantain business, it’s total freedom.
This business won’t need breaking the bank, or draining you of your finances . It’s so cheap to start and every round of harvest, you’ll see yourself counting stacks of money with a big grin. Now let’s get down to business.
Plantain is one of the staple food that’s consumed worldwide and its carbohydrate content coupled in making it an awesome plant.
It is the tenth most important food staple that feed people of all race around the world.
It’s method of preparation is diverse.
The unripe plantain can be cooked, boiled or fried.
It can be roasted on fire and eaten with a palm oil.
It can also be pounded as floor to produce numerous other edible foods.
The ripped plantain can be cooked alongside with beans.
It can also be fried or eaten raw.
Its taste is quite divine and believe me, you’ll never get enough of it.
I’m yet to see an individual who dislikes plantain.
It’s widely eaten by everyone no matter the occasion.
It is believed that any women who can fry a plantain without eating a slice will make a good wife.
That is to portray how luring and captivating plantain is.
It takes strong willpower not to fall within its grasp. The ripe plantain can lift your mood within a sec.
Its yummies taste has made it the best in all homes, specially here in Kenya.
Wow.. Seems like plantain has become a celebrity on this page. Maybe cause it’s my favorite. Sorry, let’s delve into how to start up your plantain plantation and make huge gains.
PLANTAIN DEMAND AND MARKET
You won’t believe that Zimbabwe produce over 500 hundred thousand metric tons of plantain annually and they are all consumed locally.
We are yet to fully satisfy the demand for plantain hence, Zimbabwe not being an exporter of this produce. The demand is high and the gain is even mouth watering.
After harvest, you don’t need to replant cause they are been replaced by the younger plants. So easy a business.
The problem isn’t about selling, the problem is about producing cause your target market are always making demands. This is one opportunity that can make you financially free if handled properly.
HOW TO START A PLANTAIN PLANTATION
1. LAND:
This is the most important part of this business cause without it, there will be no business.
Having a land is an added advantage cause you won’t have to buy one.
Perhaps you don’t have a land, you can buy one or two hectares of land if you can afford it.
But if you can’t, then go for a leased land. Plantain strives well in a rich loamy soil.
If you’re living in tropic rain forest of Zimbabwe, be prepared to deposit a huge percentage of compost and mulch.
This is done to prevent the plantation from depletion. You also have to make sure that the land is not infected with any form of pest. Always do your pre-planting improvement.
2. PLANTAIN SUCKERS –
This is normally the plant seed. It can be acquired from another plantation farm at a very cheap price.
When purchasing, look for Suckers with small, spear shape leaves and over 1 foot high. Then both of you will have to be careful not to severe the root.
3. PLANTING –
This is done by making enormous holes in the soil, and it should be few meters away from the each other to avoid the plant from unnecessary competition.
4. WEED CONTROL –
This is actually the crucial part. The plantation weeds has to be kept under maximum control to help the plantain produce highly.
Doing the weeding once a month is paramount, although this will require employing traditional labourers. During dry season, doing more of mulching and water application will help the plant in a great way.
If a sucker is coming up, transplant to another suitable place. Apply an NPK fertilizer, don’t overlook it cause it can increase yield.
5. HARVEST –
One thing We love about plantain Is this; once planted, you don’t need to plant again.
All you do is harvest all year round. As other plants are been harvested, others are replacing them. Within 8-10 months of planting, they should be ready for harvest.
Cost of starting a plantain plantation:
The is going to depend on lots of factors. For example, if you are the one to do the bush clearing, weeding and planting, it will greatly reduced the cost of starting a plantain plantation.
But If you’re to hire labourers, the estimated cost to run a plantain plantation till harvest will be over $2500. We assume that you already have a land.
One amazing thing about plantain plantation is that no matter how small your start up capital is, you’re going to realize four times of it.
After planting, you’ll keep harvesting for over 5 years. Pretty awesome huh?
A lot of business exist, but those which makes you rich are very simple and are often overlooked.
Plantain farming won’t consume your time, nor will it require quitting your job if you already have one.
Irrespective of your schedule, you can successfully run this business without any hurdles.