POUNDED YAM FLOUR

In an unstable economy like we have now, with less job availability and white collar jobs, taking one's life in one's hand and determining to be successful should be the focus.

The "there is no job out there" or 'government is not providing job' chorus is not excuse enough for not living a meaningful life or staying idle. It is time to take the bull by the horn, go out there and make a decent income for yourself.

There are many opportunities out there to create jobs and wealth. One of such opportunities is the business of making, selling and exporting Pounded Yam Flour. Instant Pounded Yam Flour brings succour to pounded yam lovers as the stress of pounding is eliminated.

Pounded yam is a staple food, which is consumed by almost every tribe in Nigeria. It is a delicacy enjoyed in most West African countries and many foreign nations, apparently because of the massive population of Africans living abroad.

The food is made from yam tubers. The yam tubers are cut, washed, boiled and pounded in a mortar while little sprinkles of water is added periodically until it becomes smooth and soft. This process is tedious.

A pounding machine can also be used to process cooked yam into pounded yam to eliminate the laborious indigenous process of preparing pounded yam.

The processing of yam tubers into pounded yam flour to prepare pounded yam is easier and saves a lot of stress of having to pound yams.

The Yam Flour is simply added to a pot of boiling water and stirred to achieve smooth pounded yam with the indigenous taste still in place.

The production process of Yam Flour relatively involves simple operations. The only raw material needed in the production of yam flour is yam tuber. The yam tubers can be sourced locally from the local farmers in the villages to get them at cheaper rates.

Yam, apart from its economic value, is nutritious, high in vitamin C, dietary fibre, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese while being low in saturated fat and sodium. All these vitamins and minerals promote good health.

Note that the quality of yam tubers used for production will tell on the quality of your pounded yam flour. So go for the best yam variety.

To make yam flour, the yam tubers are properly washed to remove sand and dirts. Once clean, the yam tubers are peeled and sliced into small pieces. The yam pieces are washed and par-boiled.

After par-boiling, they are dried and milled. The powder is then sieved to achieve the flour. The flour is finally packaged into labeled nylon bags, weighed and sealed. It can be packaged in 1kg or 2kg bag.

This entire process should be done under strict hygienic conditions to prevent contaminants that could affect the quality of your product.

The equipment needed to process yam flour are Yam peeler, Boiler, Dryer, Milling Machine, Packing Machine, Scale, Sealing machine and Branded polythene or nylon bags for packaging. These machines can be sourced locally at affordable prices.

Yam flour is durable and a popular ethnic cuisine in foreign lands. One striking thing about pounded yam flour is its high export potentials. It is now being packaged and exported to many countries.

Have you ever wondered how much Africans living abroad miss native delicacies? Some of them have not tasted our local delicacies for a long while and are willing to part with their hard earned cash just to do so. This explains why there is high demand for our processed local foods abroad.

There is a huge demand for pounded yam flour both in local and international markets. The food is served at home and at many occasions such as weddings, traditional marriages, naming and social gatherings.

Food vendors and restaurants in Nigeria and abroad have pounded yam on their menu.

Many investors already penetrated the local and international markets and yet cannot meet the enormous demand of the product which is why the business is always open to interested investors.

The product market is lucrative with very good yields on investment. The amount of startup capital depends on the size and scope of your business. If you have been thinking of starting a business, this might be good for you.

You can start small, develop an export market and slowly increase production.

Another beautiful thing about this business is that the market is never saturated. The demand is always high, in fact, in less than a week, another supply will be requested.

Apart from the high demand for the product, entrepreneurs have found the flour highly exportable. The very high demand for exports is because of scarcity of yam in Europe, America and Australia.

To export yam flour, you can establish a contact over there preferably a Nigerian friend or relation who you can send your products to and then make your profits.

Make sure your product conform to standardization tests and certification with appropriate documentation to avoid rejection and financial loss.

Also, the packaging should be labeled accordingly and like any other business, you need to register with appropriate authorities such as Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), NAFDAC and Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), among others.