That’s one third of the total global production! Even though many West and East African countries profit from exporting these fruits, these countries also rely on bananas and plantains as staple food crops. In fact, Nigeria produces many bananas but only exports about 4% of them. The leading countries exporting bananas are in Latin America, with Ecuador being the largest and Costa Rica and Guatemala as the third and fourth.
One reason bananas prove to be valuable in Nigeria is because these plants bear fruit all year. That being said, to successfully grow bananas, farmers need to understand how bananas use their environment to survive. Like all plants, bananas use photosynthesis to convert light, water, and carbon dioxide into glucose – a sugar that fuels the plants’ cellular activities. However, banana plants do not grow from a seed, but sprout from a bulb or rhizome, which are underground plant structures. This means that the plants need rich, dark and fertile soil to develop bananas. This process takes about a year for the plant to complete.
Pests and diseases pose threats to banana plants. When compared to plantain plants, banana plants are more resistant to pests and diseases. Plantain plants are more susceptible to wind damage because their stems are not as sturdy as the banana plants. The biggest threats are species. The unique agro–ecological conditions impact each type of Musa differently.
