Short Report: Plantain is a food crop that can be grown and processed profitably in Nigeria. Plantain is a major source of food in many regions throughout Nigeria. Study shows that the production of plantain the production of plantain is over 80 million metric tones per year. Despite this figure, demand still outstrips supply.Plantain can either be used for domestic consumption or used as input by other producers. For instance, plantain can be processed into chips or flour and sold locally or export abroad.
Plantain flour has now become a popular food today in both local and international market. In Nigeria, the potential national demand for plantain flour has been estimated to be in excess of 300,000 Tonnes/Annul.
The current supply level is probably less than 20% of the estimated demand with only few companies producing on mechanized and commercial scale.
The facilities required for a small/medium scale plantain flour mill include drying machine, slicing/chipping machine, milling machine and packaging machine.
The average production cost per Kg of plantain flour is N236, while the average retail price per Kg of good quality plantain flour is N330 per Kg.
Plantain is the major raw material for plantain flour production, and it is available all year round in commercial quantities in many parts of Nigeria. Nigeria is said to be the largest producer of plantain in West Africa.
The processing line for plantain flour production is as follows:
1. Sorting: This involves inspection of plantain fingers to identify and remove unsuitable ones i.e. spoilt, immature pulps e.t.c.
2. Weighing: The sorted plantains are properly weighed to quantify input of the raw plantain.
3. Blanching: The green plantain fruits are soaked in hot water for some minutes to soften the skin for easy peeling.
4. Peeling: The plantain peels are removed manually using sharp knives to obtain the pulp.
5. Slicing/Chipping: The pulp is sliced or chipped with the aid of a mechanical slicer.
6. Drying: The sliced plantain is dried in a short time with the aid of an industrial drying machine.
7. Milling: The dried plantain slices/chips are milled in a hammer mill.
8. Sieving: The flour is sieved to obtain the desire particle size.
9. Packaging: The flour is packaged in moisture proof packaging material ready for sale.
Now, if you operate a plantain flour mill that has the capacity to process 1tone of plantain flour per day, and you implement a good and efficient marketing strategy, the following average monthly figures are true:
Production volume per month = 29tones (29000Kg)
Sales = N9, 570,000
Direct cost of sales = N6, 844,000
Miscellaneous = N500,000
Profit per month = N2,226,000.
Plantain flour mill can be operated profitably any where in Nigeria. The start-up cost at a small scale is approximately N6,000,000. This will cover the cost of procurement of land, factory construction,
furniture, vehicle and procurement/installation of machinery.
Drop your comment or questions for clarifications, more info and technical assistance. Remain blessed.
Written by Ibrahim Ahmad Bello
Nice info and how and where can I source for the equipments to process the plantain flour locally and internationally. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in response. I've bn a bit busy these days. You can source for the machinery at National Research Institute For Chemical Technology (NARICT) Kaduna or Federal Institute Of Industrial Research (FIIRO) Lagos.
DeleteAny of these two institutes have competent engineers and technicians that can according to your specifications design, fabricate, and install the machinery for you. They can also train your staff on how to operate and maintain the machinery.
Note: with just slight changes in the processing line, the machinery for plantain flour processing can be used to process yam flour. So you can produce both products (yam and plantain flour) in your factory.
ReplyDeleteis there no way i can start producing at a small scale without all these machinery? U knw like use hands to slice and dry with sun, then grind with the machine used to grind yam?
ReplyDeleteYes, you can produce plantain flour profitably on a small scale without using those machinery.
DeletePeel the plantain, boil it for one to two hours. Thereafter, dry it under the sun until it's completely dry. This might take one to two weeks depending on the weather condition. Grind it very well and sieve/filter it to obtain fine powdered plantain.
The materials you will need are:
Knife, Pot, heat source(firewood will be cheaper), Grinding machine, Filtering/sieving device, packaging bags and Sealing machine.
The start up cost for this is approximately N70,000. With hard work, dedication, patience and steadfastness, don't be surprise that it will take you less than five(5) years to start producing in an industrial scale.
I need a breakdown of the cost analysis
ReplyDeletePLEASE, IS THERE ANY MACHINE FOR PEELING THE PLANTAIN? THANKS
ReplyDeleteIt's done manually unless you wants to process on industrial level, then they could sophisticated machinery for it
DeletePlease can I use the same machinery for plantain, cassava and yam? What's d cost of these machines in FIRRO and d start-up capital for 3months productions or so. Thanks a lot
ReplyDeleteI think you can use the machine for the same stuffs but I am not sure. Mr. Bello will answer that whenever he comes online
DeleteQuite informative.have a number of questions.how long can u keep processed plantain b 4 they go bad?no preservatives?need a breakdown of d cost,will want to know more about packaging and storing.a need a contact pls to ask some more questions.really interested.thanks indeed.
DeleteIf I want to buy the grinding machine it will cost how much and to install it. Then how can I do the park aging.
ReplyDeleteDear Dalington/ Bello,
ReplyDeletePlease how can one get these machines to process plantain into flour?1. Dryer and the amount. 2. Hammer Mill and amount. 3. The size and the cost of generator that can carry these machines. Thanks, Charisa
Hello, Mr. Bello, can you please give me the list of plantain flour producers in Nigeria. I want to start a business of supply plantain. Thanks
ReplyDeleteHello everyone. I am very sorry for delay in response to all your questions. I have been very busy these days trying to put some things in order.
ReplyDeleteBelow is a summary of the start-up cost for plantain flour factory. I am glad to let you know that you can use the same machinery to process cassava and yam.
COST EVALUATION
Pre-item start up expenses 105,000
EQUIPMENTS
Machinery Cost (Logistics, Installation etc)
4,000,000
Computer Gadgets and Telecommunication
Equipments 150,000
Generators/Power Supply 350,000
Total Equipments Costs 4,500,000
FIXED CAPITAL
Facilities (Building for Machines, Ware/Storage
House) 500,000
Office Blocks and Future 700,000
Land (50mx100m) 1,200,000
Factory Materials (Plastics Containers, Stoops etc)
175,000
Total Fixed Capital 2,575,000
WORKING CAPITAL
Personnel Budget 2,057,886
Raw Materials Costs 2,400,000
Packaging Costs 600,000
Security 300,000
Insurance 700,000
All Fuel (Power, Diesel etc) 499,998
Miscellaneous 150,000
Telephone 27,000
Administration/Management 60,000
Total Working Capital 6,794,884
Total Start Up Capital Required 13,974,884
Note: Cost of factory construction can be reduced to suit the investor’s budget. Similarly, cost of raw materials, packaging and personnel budget can be reduced, whereby the company starts by producing in small quantities, and increase as the business grows.
The machinery referenced above have an installed capacity of producing 1.5tons (1500Kg) per day. So a smaller capacity implies lesser cost.
SOURCE OF MACHINERY AND RAW MATERIALS
The machinery for plantain flour production can be procured at the following institutes
1. Federal Institute for Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO)
PMB 21023, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.
Telephone: (+234-1)4522-905
2. National Research Institute For Chemical Technology
Km. 4, Old Kano Road, Basawa Zaria Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Telephone: +234 69 370850
Email: info@narict.gov.ng
Plantain, the only raw material for plantain flour production is available all year round in commercial quantities in different parts of the country. Nigeria is the largest producer of plantain in West Africa. Large percentage of the cultivated plantain is obtained in the southern part of the country. Plantain growing states in Nigeria include: edo, Delta, Ondo, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Anambra and Enugu.
To maximize profit, it will be good to own a plantain plantation. This will reduce your cost of raw materials by 30%.
I. A. Bello
Mr. Bello, good to see you again! How are you and your family, and business? I was searching for your email but couldn't find it, I hope everything was alright?. Welcome!
DeletePlease can I get a functional e-mail address for FIIRO and NARICT, I sent a mail to them for like two weeks now and haven't got a reply yet.
DeleteGiven that I want to start processing about 80 stalks/bunch of plantain daily, what type and size of dryer is advisable? what is the power requirement for these machines (Electricity or fuel)? what are these machines made of (Metal or stainless steel)? or can I make specifications alongside my order?
how can i get the machines and how much will it cost me to pick up the fabricated one or can i place order for speacification from FIRRO
ReplyDeleteHello! Thanks for this timely information. Please, do i need any form of registration with NAFDAC before starting this business? Assuming i want to start on a small scale, can i still go ahead?
ReplyDeleteHi Mr bello,my question is that in the processing of the cassava,yam and banana is it compulsory to add any thing to it which will in one way or d other act as preservative,and is it the basic raw material that will be needed??
ReplyDeleteThis quite informative.apart from fiiro can't we get other local engineers to fabricate the machines?what's the best before lifespan?
ReplyDeleteWell done Mr Bello and God bless. I `m impressed by how well you know your stuff. You have been precise and thorough. This gives prospectus investor and your inquirers confidence.
ReplyDeleteOne thing you have not mentioned, at least in not much detail is the marketing of the product.how much is the demand and awareness of the product locally and internationally?
Nice one Mr bello. I want to start the production on a small scale so like how much do I need to start this.God bless
ReplyDeleteThis information had been so helpful.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
So useful the information you have provided. May GOD bless you
ReplyDeleteThank you so very much for this wonderful information.Stay Blessed
ReplyDeleteDr Bello, thanks for the info.
ReplyDeletePlease do I need to add any other additive (such as anti-caking agents) to the plantain flour?
It has been nice reading dis blog, am a graduate of food technology who never believed in white collar job.. but the cost of setting up this food industries even at small and medium scale is on d high side.my research from FIIRO reveals dat dryer costs 250000 and hammer mill starts frm 500,000. but we still need to look into the land, structure, source of water for production, power generation... I have produced plantain flour on my own and very passionate to have one in d nearest future.Incase, there is someone who is willing to finance dis project kindly and we discuss.. thanks
ReplyDeleteGood stuffs.
ReplyDeleteWe are blessed in this country!
Hello, Dr. Bello, please can you kindly have me well informed about my question which will be what's the Ratio of plantain flour to plantain before processing in Kg? thank you for thie eye opener your answers have been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteI am an agro-allied consultant and a fabricator of processing machine based in ibadan, for a small scale dryer it ranges from 180,000-450,000 and a roller/burr mill 280,000
ReplyDeleteI am an agro-allied consultant and a fabricator of processing machine based in ibadan, for a small scale dryer it ranges from 180,000-450,000 and a roller/burr mill 280,000. A-one Engineering and Consulting
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr Bello, but will this method give a black coloured plantain due to the discolouration that occurs after the plantain is sliced? I wish you could look for a way to inhibit the discolouration caused by the enzymic reaction in the plantain.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mr.Bello for the insight given to all so far.You are a blessing to people interested in this venture.my question is with regards to the FIIRO people;why can't anyone seem to get adequate responses from them as one other poster here has rightly complained?I sent them a mail almost one year ago regarding cost of the machinery but there has been no response.Can you help with the cost of the machinery of smaller capacities like 500kg,750kg or 1,000kg per day for people like me who want to start up smaller than 1,500kg/day?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Engr.Sam.
What else can we do Mr. Sam? Bello provided detailed addresses where you can go and get the machines, yet you are still asking us to provide you with the prices? You sent email one year ago and you are still waiting, it wouldn't take you more than a day to walk into their office and get your information or call the numbers provided.
DeletePls where can get the machine from you can email me benzino117gmail.com
DeleteWhere can I get the machineries in the North Central. Thanks again
ReplyDelete