LA LIMA, Honduras — Fintrac has been promoting the expansion of plantain production in Honduras as a result of expanded opportunities in both the domestic and overseas markets. US imports of plantains increased rapidly over the last four years, from 7,796 containers (40,000 pounds each) in 2003 to 12,311 containers in 2006. Despite easy access to the major markets in the eastern US, Honduras has been a minor player, supplying just 87 containers last year. Domestic producers also have the opportunity to increase supply to meet expanding local demand within Honduras, especially from local food processors.
Fintrac, through its management of the USAID-funded RED program, is promoting the Curare dwarf plantain variety, preferred by both the processing and fresh markets. Farmers are being introduced to high-density planting systems and other updated and good agricultural practices (GAPs), including bed preparation, drip irrigation, fertigation, desuckering, deleafing, leaf surgery, deflowering, bagging, fruit age tagging, and weed and Sigatoka controls. Fintrac is also forging sustainable market/buyer linkages with both the fresh and processing markets. The program covers a large portion of the country, targeting low-altitude (tropical) production zones within the departments of Atlántida, Colon, Comayagua, Cortés, El Paraíso, Francisco Morazán, Olancho, Santa Barbara and Yoro.
As a result of Fintrac assistance, plantain yields, quality, and sales are increasing dramatically. With the high-density planting systems, growers are obtaining yields of over 80,000 pounds per hectare, compared to average yields of only 40,000 pounds per hectare under traditional low-density systems.
In 2006, Fintrac-assisted plantain farmers sold 5.8 million pounds ($670,000). The additional 300 hectares of plantain planted in 2006 using updated technology systems will increase sales to 24 million pounds in the 2007 season. Production area and sales are expected to increase exponentially in subsequent years because of Fintrac’s design and management of two fixed-price contract production programs with large multinational exporters.
