Plantain flour is used in preparing a staple food, loved
by different tribes of Nigeria. In the southwestern region of Nigeria, it can be
kneaded into dough usually called “Amala” by the Yoruba speaking tribe. The
health benefit of plantain flour cannot be over emphasized. This makes this
product a very good exportable product among semi-finished exportable product
category in Nigeria.
Plantain flour is made of dried and pulverized sliced
plantain. Therefore, the major constituent used in making Plantain flour is
PLANTAIN. Plantain is rich in high fiber content, It has low sodium/fat content
and relatively rich is protein (between 3.0 to 3.5%) compared to other fruits. It contains high level of Ascorbic Acid,
Carotene and some other vitamins valuable to the development of the body.
Plantain flour consumption is especially good for patients suffering from:
Diabetes, Coronary Heart Disease, Arteriosclerosis, Angina Pectoris, Palpitation,
High Cholesterol Level, High Blood Pressure, Obesity e.t.c. Plantain has been
listed as one of the major high fibre rich foods.
There is high demand of plantain flour in the international
market. Especially Nigerians in diaspora are in current need of plantain flour.
The increasing health benefit of plantain flour discovered day-by-day by
researchers worldwide has relatively increased the demand of the product. Right
now, just a few companies are supplying this product to the international
market from Nigeria. To start this business, the most important Raw Material
you need is PLANTAIN which we have enough suppliers to supply you.
PRODUCTION PROCEDURE
For production of plantain flour, you will need the following
machines:
1.
Dryer
2.
Plantain Slicer
3.
Hammer Mill with Cyclone
4.
Vibro Sifter
5.
Soaking Tanks
6.
Packaging Machine
The procedure of production involves the following:
a.
Sorting: Separation of unsuitable ones out of
the batches.
b.
Weighing: The sorted plantain is properly
measured on the scale.
c.
Blanching: In order to achieve easy peeling, in
this process, the plantain will be soaked in hot water to soften the skin.
d.
Peeling: The skin will be removed manually with
sharp knives to obtain it’s pulp.
e.
Slicing: A mechanical slicer will be used to
slice the pulp.
f.
Drying: In this process, the sliced plantain
will be dried
g.
Milling: A hammer mill will be used to mill the
dried sliced plantain.
h.
Sieving: In this process, the flour is sieved to
obtain the desired particle size.
i.
Packaging: Finally the flour will be packaged in
a moisture proof packaging material according to various measures.
This project requires you to put some things in place before
take-off like: factory building, machinery and equipment, generator, project
vehicle, office furniture, equipment and bore hole. You might also need up to
58 personnel both skilled and casual in running this project.
COST IMPLICATION
This project requires within N25m – N30m for startup
depending on your business location and can attract a Return on Investment of
30% - 48% per annum, if you are producing within 450-500 tons/annum or more.
MARKET
The most interesting aspect of plantain flour is that it has
high demand both in the international and local market. This means, you can sell
locally here in Nigeria and also export to African countries and other
continents of the world. You can make more profit if you are exporting it
abroad. If you are a Nigerian and well established in Diaspora, you can embark
on this project in Nigeria, and start importing the product to your country, thereby
serving as both exporter and importer. This will highly increase your profit in
the business but it is important for you to check import regulation of the
country of your residence.
GETTING STARTED
At TOSFAT Concepts, we can assist you to set-up this project
from scratch. We will work hand-in-Hand with you and give you quality
consultation from setting up the business to getting buyers for your product
both locally and internationally. You can enjoy this benefit by simply signing
us up as the Managing Consultant for your project. You can contact us with our
details for more information.
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