Profitable plantain flour production business : how to get started

Plantain is the major raw material required for profitable plantain flour production business. It is a food crop that can be grown and processed profitably in Nigeria.
Nigeria is said to be the highest producer of plantain in west Africa and as such, plantain is usually available in commercial quantities all year round.

Plantain can either be used for the production of chips or processed into flour and sold locally or in the international space.
Plantain flour is a reliable alternative to cassava flour, thus people will have a variety to choose from.

The one and only material for plantain flour is plantain, there are no additives or preservatives required, so far flakes were well dried before processing then it should maintain its shelf life until it is ready for use.

How long does plantain flour last?

The best way to store Plantain flour is in its original container in the pantry or inside a plastic bag or airtight container. Plantain flours can be conveniently stored for about 6 months without spoilage, it can as well last longer if they are stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.

More so, it should be stored in a vapor proof container because the powder easily absorbs nearby odors and chemicals from anything around. When the storage container is opened, ensure that you reseal it properly after each use. It can also be poured into another air tight container or better still, you can place the original bag inside a plastic bag for more effective preservation.

Since plantains used for making plantain flour are fat-free, you don’t have to worry about rancidity. However, the plantain flour is bound to lose its potency after a long while.

How To process plantain into flour

1) Sorting – This entails selecting suitable plantain that can be utilized from the rest. In plantain flour production, the plantain pulp must be well matured and devoid of spoilage.

2) Weighing – Weighing is very essential because it helps to determine the weight of of the chips intended to be used for the plantain flour production.

3) Blanching – This entails putting the plantain inside a hot water for few minutes to soften or weaken the bark before peeling. This makes them much easier to peel and increases invariably increases the productivity rate of the commercial plantain flour production.

Plantain Flour production — Plantain flour production

4) Peeling – Peeling is actually the removal of the bark of the plantain fruits with sharp objects like knife. Inorder to avoid wastages and for large scale production, the use of peeling machines are recommended.

5) Slicing / Chipping – This means the slicing / cutting of of the pulp to chips preferably with the use of a machine for faster and easier result.

6) Drying : The sliced pulp is the properly dried in a drying machine for a short while.

7) Milling : The well dried plantain chips are then milled in a hammer mill, it is thus one of the essential instruments required for the production business

8) Sieving – To obtain uniform particle size, the milled plantain needs to be properly sieved.

9) Packaging and Sealing – The processed plantain is thus packaged in a thick nylon that is moisture proof ready for sale.

Equipments for plantain flour production business

• Bowls,

• knives,

• bags,

• sealing machine,

• nylon for packaging,

• Tarpaulin for spreading the pulp under sun,

• grinding machine or you can contract the services of Commercial grinders.

The facilities required for a small/medium scale profitable plantain flour processing includes :

• drying machine
• slicing/chipping machine
• milling and
• packaging machines.

Production of unripe plantain flour – how to get started

• Peel the unripe plantain and boil for about 2hours, this is recommended because the processes they will undergo is not as rigorous as that of machine so in other to get a smoothly ground plantain with nice texture you need to boil it for long.

• You can now dry the peeled plantain pulp under sun for some days until they are properly dried. This will be more effective during dry season and as well, favourable to people living in the Northern part of Nigeria because of their weather conditions.

• Grind the dried pulp with the machine used in grinding cassava i. e the type that can grind both the dried and wet grains.

• Use a good sieve to filter the ground flour to obtain uniformity of size and smoothness.

• Package the plantain flour. At this point, you may want to get started by selling to neighbors, family and friends until you obtain the relevant certifications from the recognized bodies like NAFDAC.

Marketability – No doubt, there is a high consumption rate of plantain flour which tends to make the marketing process an easy peasy.

Demand for plantain flour

The demand for plantain flour tends to increase on a daily, especially with the increasingly reported cases of diabetes. Thus, health considerations and rising standard of living contribute in no small measure to the increasing demand for plantain flour.

More so, plantain is a major food crop not only in Nigeria but in Africa and around the world with many awesome health benefits. Plantain is notably high in fiber, rich in protein and low sodium. The demand for plantain flour is not only high, it is monstrously so.

According to statistics, Nigeria is renowned as the 5th largest producers of plantain in the world, accounting for over 9% of the global plantain production. Yet, the demand for plantain is more than the supply.

Many families now prefer plantain flour as a natural alternative for cassava flour because plantain flour is healthier. This means there is more market for you if you can produce high quality plantain flour to the starving buying audience.

Venturing into plantain flour production business means you will have an ever-increasing customer base

Plantain flour is well exportable and this means more money for you as an entrepreneur. Thus, if you think that local demand is not enough matvh for your production capacity then be rest assured that the world is your market.

Summary

Of all the crops that can be processed to flour, the demand for plantain flour is clearly higher.
So, when you eventually establish your plantain flour production business, we recommend that look into starting a plantain plantation to enable you effortlessly source for your major raw material for the plantain flour production business – the plantain! This would as well increase your profit margin in no small way.

Profitable Plantain flour production business : how to get started
Profitable Plantain flour production business : how to get started
Profitable Plantain flour production business : how to get started