Banana Farming and Processing Bananas into Jam

Banana Farming and Processing Bananas into Jam Formerly, banana plants are not yet regarded as a promising commodity. Even if there are banana plants in the gardens of the people, more just for their own consumption. This is because the banana plants last ten years are prone to various diseases in addition to the price is relatively cheap.

Is Saharman, 56, a resident of the Village of North Pariaman District Sungairambai who thought the banana plant has a promising business prospects. So this father of seven children in 2003 dared to take a decision to stop working at a car showroom in Jakarta, to seriously become a banana farmer.

“Because at that time along the cross Sumatra from Lampung to Edinburgh, many banana plants are dead. In my mind, means that at some point the plant is going to be a bone of contention, because of frequent crop failures, “he said when met at the Padang Express banana plantation in the village of North Pariaman Sungairambai, yesterday.

Nurmaini husband is, the stronger his determination to be a banana farmer, after seeing a lot of vacant land in the village. The choice fell on the type of banana male, because he heard from some people, bananas are relatively resistant to pest attack. So he started the business in an area of ​​two hectares with 600 stems of seedlings that he got from fellow farmers.

The system he uses, intercropping by planting bananas under a coconut tree. For fertilizer, he uses organic fertilizers, where the leaves and stems of banana that has been harvested, precipitated, and then used as fertilizer. So the quality of bananas is much better and sweeter.

Wait for seven months, the harvest is abundant, when sold to merchants, bananas reached a tub full of pick-up large capacities. But he earned a total of around 300 thousand at that time, because the price of bananas at the time of the bunches, Rp15 thousand. Means the price of Rp140 just one banana.

Appears dissatisfaction in him, why bananas are almost the only one truck was valued 300 thousand. He felt the results obtained are not comparable to the hard work he did for seven months.

“Fortunately, at that time the Department of Agriculture Pariaman invited me to follow the training of making banana sales. So since then I started resolving not going to sell bananas in the fruit but bananas sale in processed form, “he said.

So every harvest, though the banana he becomes Banana sale. The result value of bananas sold far more developed than the price of Rp140 to Rp1.000 apiece apiece. Bananas are his favorite resident sale Pariaman even always receives an order from Pekanbaru.

For sale bananas, turnover reached Rp 5 million per month. He also always receives an order that sells banana seedlings Rp6.000 perbatang, minimum orders per 2000 seeds. Coffers were not included, from the sale of coconut yields reached 4,000 rounds every two months.

Oil prices reached Rp1.500 perbutir. Means, the total money received approximately Rp6 million every two months. Total land area of ​​banana is currently reaching a five hectare by the number of banana groves 2,600.

“Part I leave the processing to my brothers and sisters, so that their life is also better,” he said.That Saharman, not only satisfied if success were his. Saharman village residents were invited to follow in his footsteps by forming farmer groups Rambai Sakato. Moreover, a lot of vacant land in their area.

Saharman success in developing commodity male banana is also audible to the districts / cities in West Sumatra. No one, if the garden is also a field school that is often visited by farmers from within and outside West Sumatra.

Upon these achievements, Saharman received an award from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a commemoration of Food Security, last year.“This success is inseparable from the role of the Department of Agriculture is often providing information about the plant to trick us. Because since 2006, I facilitated to follow various training, “he said.

Development of male banana commodity in this village make buyers arrive, not only from West Sumatra, West Sumatra and even beyond. A number of farmers who like to play in a safe position, preferring to cater to buyers who buy bananas though not yet harvested. The condition also occurs in the Village Tungka, who also became the basis of commodity bananas in West Sumatra.

This condition causes a number of SME entrepreneurs processors such as banana banana banana chips sale and trouble getting the banana. Bananas that were once ignored its existence, now a bone of contention.

Separately, Head of Horticulture Department of Plant Agriculture Pariaman, Risman states in addition to coconut, banana is also a commodity in Pariaman. Pariaman Subdistrict North is a region with centers of these plants, because since many years ago, this area had also been a center for bananas.

“The prospect of development of the male banana is very promising, because it is more resistant to disease than other types of bananas. Moreover, the current demand is high enough, “said Head of Production, accompanied Risman, Siska Rosalia in his office yesterday.

It was even more passionate and serious about growing this commodity. In cooperation with the Central Seed Control and Certification TPH West Sumatra, it had to release the male piaman plantain varieties as national.-