Garri Production In Nigeria: Guide On Starting

Garri is a staple food in Nigeria and is gotten from cassava. The history of garri started with the production of cassava. Cassava from early times have always been cultivated mostly in Southern Nigeria. The Igbo food known as ‘fou fou’ is made of cassava. The advent of processing machines brought about a faster way of producing garri. Garri is not only consumed in Nigeria. Garri comes in both white and coloured. There are many garri market in Nigeria. This price of garri in Nigeria varies. The coloured one is the one coloured with palm oil. Many homes in Nigeria eat garri making it among the major foods in Nigeria. Garri business are of two kinds. The first one is where the person cultivates the cassava for the garri by himself. The second one is where the person buys the garri from the market and then turns them to garri. Both types are good depending on your choice and capital. Garri is a starchy food and should not be supplemented with another nutritious food. In this article, I will explain the necessary steps you need to take in order to start your garri production business.

Steps To Start A Garri Production Enterprise In Nigeria

Introducing Garri

Garri is a smooth yellowish, granular flour that has a sour flavor or fermentation made from cassava tubers.
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The product is consumed in many African countries and particularly in Nigeria. Garri is also used in America, Europe, Australia etc. This category of food is normally eaten with African soup like afang soup, groundnut soup, ice fish soup etc. Garri can also be drunk by the application of sugar, water, milk and honey.

What Are The Varieties Of Garri?

1)

Yellowish/Ruby garri

This category is normally found in Delta, Edo and other Southern parts of Nigeria. The slogan for this garri is the ‘Bendel Garri’. The yellowish colour comes from the addition of palm oil to white garri
2)

White Garri

This type of garri is mostly known across West Africa.
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The fermentation is without palm oil. After this there is frying of the raw material.
3)

Ghana garri

This type of garri is manufactured in Ghana. The process of manufacturing is the same with others except that the picked and peeled cassava do absorb water.
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What Steps Do You Need For Garri Production?

First get a good garri business plan. You will take the following steps to produce garri:

• Harvesting of cassava
• Cassava piling
• Cassava washing
• Cassava grinding
• Drying/squeezing
• Cassava sieving
• Cassava frying
• Cassava cooling
• Bagging/sacking of cassava

There is need for you to wash your tubers of cassava properly so as to eliminate sand.

Why Should You Do Garri Business?

• Low capital is required for start up
• Partnership with others
• You can make N2 million profit depending on your production size in the first year
• This is fast growing
• It’s nature is dynamic
• It is a potential for small business built up and cooperatives
• Much labour is needed in beginning

What Procedures Do You Take For Garri Production?

1)

Select an approximate location for planting your cassava

Before you go into cassava planting, pick a zone that has a very good loamy soil with a warm climate. The development of cassava happens best in these areas. Check the environment to see if it is suitable for cassava.
2)

Soil enhancement

If it happens that the soil is not properly manured, you increase it’s fertility. It is preferable to opt in to areas that have good loamy soil so as not to spend too much on fertilizers.
3)

Choose the best category of cassava for planting

Select good varieties of the stems of cassava that can give you some yields, develop in quick manner and is immune to insects, sicknesses and bugs.
4)

Choose cassava stem cuttings that are healthy

Ensure that you cut good cassava stem. The choice of choosing stems that are solid is necessary to develop a cassava plant that is rich and the market tends to sell fast. Purchasing cassava stem cuttings around the towns and the local market can be done. Note that the very best source of your cassava stem is from your own farm. The cultivation of bad stems attract pests and diseases.
5)

Plant Your Cassava Properly

Now before you proceed to have your cassava planted, ensure that you consider the texture and time necessary for planting in order to yield properly during harvest. Also consider the species and type used including the right employable strategies. You tend to make a good harvest once you take the appropriate steps and also more profits.
6)

Determining Your Cost of Production And Setup

You have to know the cost of setting up of your cassava plant. Depending on the scale, the cost could be higher or lower. This costing below is for large scale.

• The cost of land is about N80000 to N1.5m unless you have land already
• Preparation of Land BOUT=N30000 ( depending on the size)
• Stem cutting of cassava=N60000
• Fertilizer is N30000
• The tank for fermentation=N300000
• Hydraulic Press costs about N250000
• The hammer mill costs about N800000.
  There are costs for other things like insecticides, carriage, bags and labour fees.

Conduct Feasibility Studies

Ask questions in your area before starting so as to know certain things about garri business in your area.

What Equipments Are Used For Making Garri?

• Peelers
• Harvesters
• Chippers and graters
• Dryers for drying
• Frypans/pots
• Tripod
• Turning spoon
• Washers

Garri Production Machines

• Tank dryer
• Aspirator
• Disc mill
• Cokers ( pressure) and aluminum pots
• Weighing scale heavy duty ( capacity of 0-100kg)
• Grating machine (hammer mill)
• Gas cookers and other accessories
• Hammer mill that has 5mm mesh
• Semi-Auto Auger Machine for Filling
• Heat sealing machine for industrial purpose
• Blending machine known as corn blender
• Sieving machine ( 1000*450 micro inch)
• Granulator ( 10mm mesh)
• Dewatering machine ( of hydraulic press)
• Dryer

Where Can You Market Your Garri?

• The open market
• Hotels and dormitories
• Restaurant

Conclusion

Garri processing business is worth doing. This article tells you what you need to start. Garri is well eaten by Nigerians. If you have any questions on cultivating cassava and starting your own garri production business, you are referee to use our comment box.