Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Hi folks,

How wonderful the is Internet.. a whole subculture of banana fanatics... Awesome!

My family live in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, just below the Queensland border. We're currently looking to buy a small acreage on which to live out our rural dream.

A commercial banana farm in our desired area has come on the market and I write here in the hope of quickly learning enough about bananas to get a handle on..

1/ The state of the banana industry (particularly in Australia)

2/ The ease of growing bananas and therefore the possibility of succes for our running the farm (without any previous experience of either farming or bananas),

3/ Whether we would be better off turning the farm to other uses and what other crops might suit the red volcanic soil, sub tropical climate and steep hillside terrain of the property.

4/ whether we'd be better off regenerating native forest on the property.

Any and all comments, criticism and advice, would be welcome.

A big concern centers on the possible degraded state of the soil or poisonous toxins remaining therein.

We understand that arsenic has been used in the past, in Australian banana plantations and wonder if there are soil tests which would enable a good picture of the state of the soil.

Thanks in advance

Nigel
Byron Bay

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Im not sure what part of australia they grow in but tree ferns are a big business and the larger ones can go for an extreme amount of money. a thought if your plans don't work out for the banana farm.. I THINK those rainbow eucalyptus trees come from that area 2 and can command a big price tag

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

My recent reading noted that the Cavendish strain in Australia was having a terrible time with disease. Best to check that out and/or value the land without the banana factor, as it may be nil.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Thanks guys,

I'll be sure and check out the inside scoop on the cavendish strain

and

search for likely niche alternatives

all good stuff

Nigel

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Byron Bay is a LONG LONG way from the Queensland border!

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

We are living on a small property in southwest Mexico and after 7 years here, I'm getting the idea that comes with the local farmers' visions and failures...look around and see what other locals are doing. Are the banana guys selling or buying land?

We're sure that cocos, mangos and nothing else grow near us without major attention to new pesticides every year, and we've decided that income from the land will be minimal. And, it's very nice.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

A soil test should be easily done by any local ag lab, and you will get a lot more info and advice than just the arsenic levels. Biomass content, aridity, acidity, available mineral, nitrogen........
As a business addition you might consider using your "expired" trees for hog feed. My relatives are doing that in the Philippines. They replace over half the feed they would normaly buy with banana "tree trunks". (I know they aren't really trees.) The only trick is slicing,(not crushing or juicing), the trunks small enough. 1/8", or 3 mm is about right. Smaller gives the stomach problems, and larger leave to much undigested.
I'm working on a machine to do that for them. A giant deli slicer. Get back to me if you find a need for such a machine. I would share the design with you, and might supply unique parts at cost.
Good luck with the pastoral perambulations.
Jack

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

tropical race four...

Scientists fight a devastating banana blight : The New Yorker

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Howdy Nigel: Yup, I'd go for a soil test before I would do anything else! Also do your due diligence and see what other farmers are up too! In other words, you could loose your butt in this transaction! Also ask the seller why he is wanting to get rid of the property?
,
If it is for a normal reason, ie retirement; moving, burned out, etc...it may be worthwhile to to continue your research. In addition I would draw up a purchase contract, requiring the seller to guarantee, the land is as indicated, allowing you to do a series of soil tests, throughout the property; and finally making sure that is was never a hazardous materials dump site! :-o. Use bail out clauses, in your contract... finally making sure that is was never a hazardous materials dump site...I your tests come back positive, for arsenic...run like hell, from the deal!

Stay Safe,Tom Portland, OR. USA

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Read this guide cover to cover before you make a decision:

Subtropical banana grower's handbook
from:
Home | Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry | Queensland Government

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Awesome advice... thanks to everyone who responded.

I'm checking out the property on Friday 28th and feel a lot better prepared thanks to you fine folks.

Cheers

Nigel

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Hi Veronica,
I see by your map reference that you are somewhere in the Northern Rivers, so I'm surprised that you would consider the Queensland border a long way away.

It takes me less than 40 mins to drive across the border to Coolangatta airport. In aussie terms that's barely a hop and a skip.

In mentioning my location I felt I was addressing a mostly international forum, and therefore drew with a broad brush stroke. I hope you didn't think I was being deceptive.

Cheers and thanks for taking an interest anyway.

Nigel

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Nigel,
Hello
It might be worthwhile having a talk to Ian Gerrard or Jeremy Bright at the DPI, Wollonbar Research Centre ph # 6626 1200 (located between Goonellabah and Alstonville on the Brunxner Higway) or Jim Aston DPI Murwillumbah ph # 66 723571. They'll be happy to answer questions you have re. Banana growing in this area.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Sorry Nigel! I made a mistake! (A pretty dumb mistake) . I thoughtthe Qld boarderwas a long way I have to think again.You obiviously have a better judgment of distances than I do and probably a wider ,better knowledge of the roads and new bypasses etc. I don't travel by road much at all. The prospect of your new venture is exciting May it all go well for you.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

That's a fantastic resource. Thanks for posting it :bananas_b

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

keep in mind that there are many other tropical fruits which can be grown instead of banana

while store shelf Nain sells for $1kg Lychee goes for $8kg and Longan $6kg
Jakfruit $5kg Sapodilla $6kg

all or none of these may be suited to your area, but if there are Asians these fruit are popular

as you said about the banana fanatic subculture, so it is with other tropical fruits.
Some growers even have a wait list of customers to be called FIRST when the Lychee are ripe.

I don't know about anywhere else, but in Florida there is a real demand for other tropical fruits that is rarely met locally.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

These are exactly the kind of answers I was hoping for so a big THANKS to all.. any more sub-tropical cropping alternatives are welcome. Preferably easy grow, low maintenance, high return... LOL, as if!!

The site has a steep sided, North East aspect. I've noticed recenlty that a few other farms in the area with similar topology are growing Dragon Fruit. I understand it to be a big producer but, while it looks great, the taste doesn't deliver on that promise.

I'll check out the local lychee situation too.

I wonder if there is any reference where one can match soil types to appropriate crops?

Cheers

Nigel

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Sustainable Farming News & Biological Agriculture Information. » Blog Archive » Growing Root Crops in Red Soil


searching for red volcanioc soil leads me to
avocados, kiwifruit, passionfruit, rhubarb, apples and mangoes

I've seen quite a bit of talk about mango "Kensington Pride" in Oz.
IIRC flowering is irregular in some areas... something about the winter.
I was only reading it for research on Paclobutrazole and other PGRS.

This guy has Jaboticaba which I had neglected to mention due to their slow nature. Macadamia is listed on his site also.
Jabotica would be a good alternative to restoring native trees. You don't see many commercial growers because they can take 5-15 years to make fruit. They eventually will make multiple crops a year, some two, some six !
They are shallow rooted and may require irrigation (depends on rain/soil type)
Food Connect | The people


Here is subtropical coffee? holy smoke!!
these guys are close to you too !!! check the map
I like coffee a LOT because it seems more like a need than a mango. I doubt demand will EVER dry up.
Our Industry | Australian Subtropical Coffee Association

Since you want others....
Cherimoya Annona cherimola
cherry of the Rio Grande Eugenia aggregata
Brazilian cherry Eugenia brasiliensis
Guava
Japanese plum Eriobotrya japonica
Passion fruit Passiflora edulis
White Sapote Casimiroa edulis
Starfruit Averrhoa carambola

and here I was just going to post this

and hint that you might be a kiwi

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

There is a very definitive guide to commercial propagation of bananas on youtube by scott nelson.

Best information around.

Re: Advice sought for a novice buying a banana farm?
 

Hi Folks,

Well, my wife and I went to see the two banana farms on Friday and we were fortunate to run into the banana farmer who works the neighbouring property. His first words to us were "I hope you're not greenies!", meaning anti-pesticides.

We had to answer in the affirmative, we do indeed fall into the broad category of vegetarian, tree-hugging hippies. We buy organic food and yearn for a world free of contaminated, genetically modified, heavily refined processed foods for our daughter to inherit. This guy was totally comitted to a better world through chemicals.. he could have been a Monsanto salesman for the depth of his commitment to pesticides, claiming that once a year he sprays his entire plantation by plane. He told us the 'so-called' organic farmers at our local farmers market were just a con and that the only way you could be sure that a piece of fruit was organic was if you found grubs inside it.

It was a shocking reminder that we've been living this chemical experiment of pesticide use for so long, this man, I guess in his late fifties, was aware of no alternative. And ignorant of the changes going on in the world - changes that the big supermarkets are already aware of and clearing more and more shelf space for. Today's consumers are better informed, more and more of us are demanding and prepared to pay extra for clean, unadulterated food.

It's possible that he may even have been trying to put us off purchasing the property for reasons of his own. I don't know.

Anyway, thanks again for all the encouragement and helpful suggestions which are still going to be useful in whichever rural property we purchase. It just won't be be next door to this banana farmer.

Cheers

Nigel Haslam