High quality cassava flour and industrial starches

Extend Freshness, Expand Opportunities with Cassava Flour!

High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) is a product derived from cassava, a starchy root crop, and is specifically focused on the characteristics and attributes of the product itself. HQCF is a finely processed cassava flour that is produced without fermentation, resulting in an odorless, white or off-white flour. It is created through a series of production steps that include raw material selection, peeling, washing, grating, pressing, disintegration, sifting, drying, milling, screening, packaging, and storage.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 7/9

Cost: $$$ 60 USD

Processing of 1MT of fresh cassava

25 %

Reduction of wheat flour in bakeries

IP

Open source / open access

Problem

The HQCF technology adressed several problem such as:

Short shelf life: Fresh cassava roots, with their high water content, quickly perish and mold, posing a significant challenge for storage and market sales.
Cyanide toxicity: Traditional processing methods aim to eliminate toxic cyanide compounds present in cassava, requiring additional steps to make it safe for consumption.
Limited market opportunities: Traditional cassava flour production methods do not offer significant market prospects for smallholder cassava farmers.
High transport costs: Converting fresh roots into High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) reduces transportation costs from farms to processing facilities.
Extended shelf life: HQCF production contributes to longer shelf life for the raw food product, addressing the issue of the perishability of fresh roots.

Solution

Production of High Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) to extend the shelf life of cassava roots.

Extended Shelf Life: HQCF offers a longer shelf life compared to fresh cassava roots, reducing post-harvest losses.
Reduced Transportation Costs: Processing cassava roots into HQCF decreases transportation costs from farms to processing facilities, enhancing logistical efficiency.
Improved Quality: The HQCF production process, unlike fermentation used in other cassava products like fufu or gari, produces an odorless flour with a white or off-white color, enhancing its overall quality.
Versatility: HQCF and derived starches can be used in the manufacturing of a diverse range of foods and products, providing versatility in application.
Import Substitution: HQCF can serve as a substitute for imported starch sources like wheat, contributing to food security and reducing import costs.

Key points to design your business plan

The High-Quality Cassava Flour (HQCF) may be of interest to specific food processors and resellers.

Processor of HQCF

HQCF delivers exceptional value by extending the shelf life of cassava roots, reducing transport costs, and providing a sustainable solution for maximizing resource utilization.

In order to produce efficiently the HQCF:

Machinery and equipment (Approximately 60% of the capital investment that is required to set up a processing plant is going to machinery and equipment, while the rest to construction.)
Fresh cassava roots (Producing 1 ton of HQCF requires 5.5 tons of fresh cassava roots.)

A demonstrator carried out in Madagascar showed that processing 288MT of fresh cassava roots into HQCF over a year cost USD 17,238, which corresponds to a production cost of USD 60 per MT fresh root product.

You need to fulfil national phytosanitary regulations and a license for setting up HQCFactivities.

Your potential customers are wholesale distributors of HQCF to retailers.

Building strong partnerships with wholesale distributor networks is key to the success of your business.

Resellers of HQCF

Selling HQCF is a profitable venture due to its growing demand in the agri-food sector. To successfully carry out this activity, it is necessary to plan for:

A storage facility for the flour

Means of transportation for the flour and a delivery system

Estimate the costs associated with each of these needs, taking into account your country and its proximity to HQCF manufacturers.

Your potential customers are: retailers, school cafeterias, bakeries, development projects, government agencies, and NGOs. Establishing strong partnerships with all these potential customer networks is crucial for the success of your business.

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive low

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Farmer climate change readiness: Moderate improvement

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: Same amount of water used

Carbon footprint: More carbon released

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested

Countries where the technology has been tested and adopted
Country	Tested	Adopted
Benin	Tested	–Not adopted
Cameroon	Tested	–Not adopted
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	Tested	–Not adopted
Liberia	Tested	–Not adopted
Madagascar	Tested	–Not adopted
Malawi	Tested	–Not adopted
Nigeria	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	Tested	–Not adopted
Sierra Leone	Tested	–Not adopted
Tanzania	Tested	–Not adopted
Togo	Tested	–Not adopted
Uganda	Tested	–Not adopted
Zambia	Tested	–Not adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

1. Raw Material Preparation:

Select fresh cassava roots with high dry matter, and low levels of bitter-tasting cyanides.
Harvest and deliver the cassava roots within a day or two after harvest for optimal quality.

2. Processing HQCF:

Use a grater to reduce the size of cassava roots.
Dewater the grated cassava using a press to remove excess water.
Dry the dewatered cassava using a solar or flash dryer.
Comminute (reduce particle size) the dried cassava using a pin mill.
Screen the comminuted material to achieve the desired particle size.
Package the HQCF using a stitching machine.
Ensure the entire process takes place within a short timeframe to maintain quality.

4. Electricity Supply:

Ensure a reliable supply of low-cost electricity, which can be obtained from the national grid, diesel generators, or photovoltaic panels.
This is essential for uninterrupted and cost-effective manufacturing of HQCF and starches.

Last updated on 22 May 2024