Post by Trade facilitator on Jul 20, 2021 11:35:17 GMT 1
Demand is 300,000 Metric Tonnes, and Supply is 10,000 Metric Tonnes
There is an acute shortage of cassava starch in Nigeria both for local consumption and export. The statistics is frightening, there is a demand of more than 300,000 metric tonnes of the commodity while producers can only supply a miserly 10,000 metric tonnes.
This is leaving a yawning gap of about 290,000 metric tonnes of the product waiting for farmers and other producers to fill.
In this article we are going to discuss how to make cassava starch here in Nigeria both for local consumption and export.
The Wet Process of Cassava Starch Production
We shall be discussing the wet method of processing cassava starch without any additive. This method is very simple to follow, and if you practice it, then you can start it and do the business profitably.
The production process is divided into three (3) basic categories or stages covering the complete process of how to make starch from cassava.
Stage 1: This is the farm stage. If you have a farm, or you bought the cassava from the farm; then you need to harvest the cassava tubers up to the quantity you require for the production.
After harvesting the cassava, you need to transport them to your processing station.
Step 2: The next stage is the cleaning of the cassava tubers, cleaning at this stage means removing the sediments from the outer covering of the cassava tubers or the roots.
For you to make a very clean cassava starch, you must lay a lot of emphasis on cleaning the tubers properly in order to eliminate dirt and sand. The cleaner your cassava roots are a better quality cassava starch you will produce.
The next stage after the cleaning is the washing stage; you start washing the tubers. Washing is also very important in the process of production.
During washing process you will ensure high quality for your starch. The main reason for washing is to remove, sand, and epidermis of the cassava roots.
After washing, you can now start crushing.
Step 3: Crushing can be done in various ways depending on the method you have chosen to follow.
Those who want to get both garri and starch will have either to grate the cassava tubers or crush using local machines that are now available all over the places.
Crushing is mainly to destroy the structure of the cassava tubers so that the tiny starch granules can be smoothly separated from the cassava roots.
Starch released from cells is called free starch, the more free starch released the higher the starch yield.
Modern day separation is done by machines used by industrial starch producers, but you can still achieve much to start your own business with available locally produced machines.
After crushing you have to put the crushed cassava now turned into paste into a sack made for pressing out the starch slurry from the crushed cassava. Note that industrial starch producers can crush the cassava roots to a level that they can achieve very high level of cassava starch.
At this stage your cassava starch is almost ready; you will have to remove water from the cassava slurry by any method of dehydration available to you.
After dehydrating the starch to remove water, you can then dry it for local and export market.
Don’t forget that most local producers also get their garri from the same process that produced the cassava starch. The point to note here is that the quantity of starch to be realized when you also want to get garri will be reduced.
The choice is yours, whatever you desire go out there and key into this simple but profitable means of livelihood at your fingertips.
Our company trains both farmers and exporters to enable them function properly in this business; you can contact the admin of the forum for more information and days of the training.
Stay with us.
