What Is Banana Farming About?
Banana farming is the cultivation of the banana crop for consumption and industrial use. The fruit varies in size, colour, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with a soft flesh rich in starch and covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe.

Facts and Benefits of Banana Farming
• Banana trees are the world’s tallest herbaceous plant. They can reach 20 feet in height. “Herbaceous” means there is no woody stem and all the plant matter above the ground dies at the end of a yearly cycle.
• Banana contains potassium-40 which is radioactive isotope potassium.
• Over 100 billion bananas are consumed annually in the world.
• Bananas can help with weight loss and digestion. They are high in fiber, which can help keep you full.
• Bananas are picked unripe green and exported this way.
• Bananas are composed of 75% water, despite their firm texture and rather dry mouth-feel.
• Bananas may be helpful in preventing kidney cancer because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds.
• Bananas don’t grow on trees. Rather they grow from a root structure that produces an above ground system.
• There are over 1000 different banana species in the world today.
• Banana plants are often mistaken for trees or palms – they are actually herb

Business opportunities in Banana Farming

1). Source of food:
Bananas are a great source of food as they contain three natural sources of sugar: sucrose, fructose, and glucose, making them a source of instant and sustainable energy and can be consumed raw in the form of salad or pickled.

2). Beverages:
Bananas can be easily diced in mixed fruits salads, or as juice, margaritas, limeade, desserts e.t.c.

Types of Banana Varieties

o Red Banana: They are also known as the Dacca Banana. This type of banana has reddish-purple skin. They are usually smaller and plumper than the common Cavendish banana. When ripe, raw red bananas have a flesh that is cream to light pink in color. Its flavor is sweet and creamy with raspberry highlights. Red bananas are available year-round.

o Cavendish banana: This is the most common banana variety in the world. This type of banana are long and yellow in color. They go from under-ripe green to perfectly ripe and still firm yellow, to more ripe deep yellow with a brown spot or two.

o Lady finger bananas: They are also known as sugar bananas. Their fruits are small [4 to 5 inches (10-12.5 cm) in length], thin-skinned, and very sweet. The skin is thin and the flesh is sweet. Each hand consists of 12 to 20 fingers, with each bunch typically having 10 to 14 hands. It blooms during mid-summer, late summer, and early fall.

o Apple banana: This is one of the most common banana cultivars in Southeast Asia and the Philippines. The plant flowers are yellow, purple, or ivory in color and its plant reaches a height of 10 to 13 feet. They are usually called banana because of their slightly acidic, apple-like flavour. The Apple bananas are available year-round.

Source: http://startuptipsdaily.com/how-to-start-banana-farming-in-nigeria-africa/

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