INVESTING IN BANANA CROP PRODUCTION IS NOT A SCAM

Avoid scam by investing in Banana production, Bananas need moist, fertile, well-drained soil and lots of sun

Farmers in Uganda ranked the banana crop as their number one plant; the most common character that places it above others is that the crop acts as a source of food and income security. The banana is a perennial crop, with a root net work and broad leaves which maintain soil structure and provides a soil cover throughout the year hence reducing land degradation.

Before you start anything, it is more important to note the following.

You need select seeds that matures quickly with high yields and highly marketable.

You also need to clear your Land. By this you are ensuring that your land is ready for you to proceed with growing. Massive grasses should be left because it may be useful during mulching, It is advisable for starters to use man power because tractors may be too expensive thus increasing the costs of production. You must minimize the use of the hand hoe to remove weeds.

Spacing is another factor, Use optimum spacing of approximately 3.5m X 3.5m to reduce drying of the top soil but also dig larger to capture large volumes of water

You should also plant wind breakers (trees) at the edge of the banana garden.

The planting holes should be about three feet in diameter and two feet deep. Spacing between the holes should be about ten feet and it should be dug well before the rain season and filled up with top soil mixed with organic manure. It is important to get the right banana suckers, free from pests and disease.

It is advisable that you regularly inspect the garden to ensure it is free from weeds.

It is good to mulch the garden but care must be taken not to cover the area immediately surrounding the banana plant as it would facilitate weevil multiplication.

Prepare to start with organic fertilizers, especially well decomposed cow or chicken dung, at least two basins per hole. The more manure the better.

Ensure that the land has got trenches in order to harvest rain water; this prevents soils from drying up. Water trenches must be about two feet deep and should be dug across the garden.

You’re also advised to prepare for mulching as early as possible, the thicker the mulch, the more the water is conserved in the soil. Also be careful to retain all the green leaves on the plants. Cut the green leaves but only remove the dead trash. This is important because the size of the bunch depends on three things namely; quantity and health of roots, quantity and health of leaves and size of Pseudostem; the bigger the pseudostem the bigger the bunch.

**The most common disease affected by bananas is Banana bacteria wilt, Banana Bacterial Wilt (BBW) is a disease transmitted through infected plant materials, contaminated farm tools and insects like bees. Therefore, the control measures include the following: **

Avoid transfer of infected planting materials or plant parts from places of infection to clean areas. Ensure that the materials used for planting are clean and safe.

Break off the male bud immediately after the last cluster has been formed. Note that the male bud must be broken off using a forked stick but not cutting it off with sharp objects.

Cut and chop all infected plants. Note that only infected plants should be rouged off. Do not uproot the entire mat just because one or two plants have been sighted to be infected.

TOMORROW I WILL EXPLAIN HOW BANANAs ARE PREPARED OR COOKED