How to Process Cassava Into Flour Used for Confectionery

Cassava flour in a very important ingredient in profitable production of bread.  In the year 2001 Nigerian president was a farmer so had a first hand knowledge of what problems farmers were facing and the fact that Nigerian government was spending huge amount of money on wheat which is used to produce bread and some other confectioneries.

The government directed Federal Institute of Industrial Research to find ways of including local raw materials in the production of bread. The outcome of the research is that cassava flour can be mixed with wheat at up to 10% without any adverse effect on the taste and texture of the product. The federal government then mandated all the flour mill to include cassava flour in their product since then.

On the exit of president Obasanjo the law was no so much enforced until last year president Goodluck Jonatan raised the hope of farmers again Rice-Flourby increasing the import duty on wheat. At this point the bakers started sourcing alternative. This development drove them back to cassava four.

Cassava flour is not elubo lafun the staple food of Egbas in Ogun state.  The difference between the two is that the cassava for producing flour should be harvested and processed in the same day. The important point in this is that there should be no fermentation of the cassava at all. But the cassava processing to elubu must be fermented for at least three days.

Step 1: Harvest matured cassava from the farm and load it to the processing shed immediately. If the  quantity of cassava  harvested can not be carried in the same day for logistic reasons do not detach the cassava from the stem and leaf until the vehicle to carry it is ready. That is to say fermentation will not occur if the cassava is still attached to the leaf and stem even if it has been uprooted. But care must be taken not to bruise the cassava when uprooting it.

Step 2:  Peel the cassava and wash it in clean water.

Step 3:  Grind the cassava with grating machine.

Step 4:  Press the grated cassava with screw jack or hydraulic jack. The pressing is very technical and very important. The moisture level of the cassava should be reduced to below 20%. The process from harvesting to pressing must be under 24 hours. If not the product has turned to elubo and may not be good foe baking. After pressing to below 20% moisture level fermentation is completely halted. The next stage is drying.

Step 5: Dry  to moisture level of below 14% The drier the product the longer the storage life or the shelf life. The moisture level is the most important quality which will be examined at the point of sales. If properly processed as narrated above the colour of the product is snow white.

Drying could be by sun drying if the quantity is not much or if the period is dry season when there is no possibility of sudden rainfall. The ideal method of drying is the industrial dryer. Some industrial dryers are capable of handling up to 10 tons per day. If the processing is during rainy season the best alternative is the industrial dryer. They charge their fee per ton.

Step 6:  Bag into baggco sacs of 50kg and send to the point of sales.
Cost Analysis.

1. Price of 3 tons truck of raw cassava at Ifo is N60,000 to the processing shed.

2. Cost of peeling N3,000 Naira for the three tons.

3. Cost of pressing N3,000 Naira for the three tons

4. Transportation to dryer at Itori N2,000 Naira  the quantity of the material reduces almost by 50% after pressing.

At the drying center the product will be tested and weighed in. The moisture level recorded. The will be dried and sold at the drying center there to merchants who process the LPO to supply to the flour mills or bakers. The three tons of cassava is to yield minimum of 1.5 tons of flour. 

A ton of flour is  N70,000 Naira 1.5 tons will yield N105,000 Naira  less expenses of not more than N80,000 Naira entrepreneur has a balance of N25,000 on each truck of cassava bought. It is more profitable for a cassava farmer to process his cassava to this point if there is labor to accomplish.

This is Written for WealthResult.com by Adams 'ElyJay' Odurinde who is a farmer and a blogger.  His experience of farming span several decades, he recently combine his love for farming with his love of writing to share his farming experience with  others.

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