Flour Milling and Blending Systems for Wheat, Sorghum and Millet

Produce a premium wheat, sorghum and millet flour close to production areas

Flour milling and blending systems are small-to large-sized milling and blending systems, available from local and international manufacturers that allow production of premium wheat flour close to production areas. Small-scale equipment is relatively simple to install but require reliable sources of electricity. Solar power is an option as this technology is particularly advantageous in more remote locations.

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

7•7

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

Project adoption1

Technology integrated in the EFPEP project.

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
EFPEP Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project	Madagascar	Direct: 139,100	20.21 million 2022–2025	2,908 tons of certified seed distributed 21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied 2 grain reserves established

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

EFPEP
Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project

Madagascar

Direct: 139,100

20.21 million

2022–2025

2,908 tons of certified seed distributed
21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied
2 grain reserves established

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Adults, especially in agriculture, benefit significantly from value addition, reduced labor, and new market opportunities. The technology boosts income, productivity, and entrepreneurial potential, enhancing livelihoods in rural areas.

The poor: Positive low

The poor may struggle to invest in milling equipment initially, but they benefit from access to cheaper, nutritious flour. Over time, the technology can create jobs and enhance food security, though the immediate impact is lower.

Under 18: Positive low

This group benefits indirectly through improved nutrition from millet and sorghum-based foods. They aren't involved in milling or economic activities but gain from healthier, affordable meals due to increased local flour availability.

Women: Positive high

Women, being key in food processing, benefit from reduced manual labor and time savings. It also creates business opportunities in food production, helping improve their income and reducing household burdens.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

The technology helps farmers adapt to climate change by enabling them to add value to crops, store processed flour, and reduce crop loss, making them more resilient to climate variability.

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

The carbon emissions are similar to traditional methods due to energy requirements for milling and blending, with no significant reduction unless renewable energy sources are used.

Water use: A bit less water used

The technology uses less water compared to traditional grain preparation methods, as flour processing and cooking require less water than whole grain washing and boiling.

Problem

Poor flour quality: Manual processing produces flour that does not consistently meet consumer expectations, limiting the development of local food-processing activities.
High transport costs: Long distances between production areas and processing facilities increase the burden on local cereal value chains.
Limited shelf life: Short shelf life reduces the availability of flour for markets, food processors and manufacturers.
Weak local competitiveness: Poor processing quality limits the ability of local cereal products to compete with imported products.

Solution

Improved flour quality: Milling and blending systems support the production of quality flour that meets consumer expectations.
Stronger local value chains: Processing closer to production areas reduces the distance between cereal production and processing.
Longer shelf life: Improved processing increases the shelf life of flour and supports more regular market supply.
Local value addition: Better processing adds value to locally produced cereals and strengthens the competitiveness of local products

Key points to design your program

Flour Milling and Blending Systems for Wheat, Sorghum, and Millet are processing technologies that produce high-quality composite flour close to production areas, reducing transport costs, extending shelf life, and increasing the value of locally produced cereals. The technology can be integrated into grain value chain development, food security, agribusiness, and agro-processing programs to strengthen local food systems and create rural employment. Its adoption contributes to SDGs 2 (Zero Hunger) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

To integrate this technology into your project, plan and budget for the following activities and prerequisites:

Assess grain production capacity, market demand, processing infrastructure, and opportunities for local flour production in target areas.
Establish partnerships with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), food processing companies, producer organizations, and other grain value chain stakeholders to support technology dissemination and scaling.
Facilitate access to flour milling and blending equipment, reliable energy sources, packaging materials, and quality assurance systems.
Implement demonstration sites and training for processors, cooperatives, women's groups, youth enterprises, mill operators, and extension agents on flour milling, blending, product standards, food safety, and business management.
Support extension and dissemination activities to promote the adoption of flour milling and blending technologies.
Promote the participation of women, youth, and smallholder entrepreneurs in grain processing, agribusiness, and technology adoption activities.
Implement monitoring, learning, and inclusion activities throughout the project lifecycle.
Track key indicators such as flour production, grain processed, value-added products, processor adoption, market access, and income generation.

38,000 USD

Base price for a fully automatic flour mill with a capacity of 30 ton flour per day

80—82 %

maximal recovery of flour

18—20 %

maximal recovery of bran

IP

Open source / open access

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 7 out of 9

Semi-controlled environment: prototype

Level of use 7 out of 9

Common use by projects NOT connected to technology provider

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
EFPEP Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project	Madagascar	Direct: 139,100	20.21 million 2022–2025	2,908 tons of certified seed distributed 21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied 2 grain reserves established

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

EFPEP
Emergency Food Production Enhancement Project

Madagascar

Direct: 139,100

20.21 million

2022–2025

2,908 tons of certified seed distributed
21,830 tons of fertilizer supplied
2 grain reserves established

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

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

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Niger	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	Tested	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 8: decent work and economic growth

Conduct Market Research: Conduct thorough market research to understand the market needs and identify viable business models.
Consult Experts for Location: If uncertain about the location, seek advice from experts to avoid investing in the wrong place.
Analyze Investment Requirements: Perform a comprehensive analysis of investment needs, considering capital equipment, staff wages, and other fixed and variable costs.
Identify Financing Strategies: Based on the analysis, identify financing options, including loans, personal funds, or investors.
Secure Funding: Once financing is secured, proceed to purchase the necessary machines for cleaning, annealing, and milling.
Construct the Processing Line: Build the flour processing line based on professional advice for optimal installation.
Optimize Electricity Costs: Minimize electricity costs to ensure profitability and maximize net margins during operations.
Implement Quality Assurance: Ensure continuous quality assurance at the flour mill to meet market standards regarding gluten content, sedimentation, and index values of the product.