What are the cassava chips production process?

The demand for cassava chips as an industrial product is wide. There is a high export demand in China especially for ethanol production. In fact, Nigeria is planning to export chips to China to the tune of 1,100,000T this year. This is a clear indication that Cassava Chips has a high market potential.

The international price of cassava chips fluctuates between $1,200 and $1,300 per metric tonne. Locally, it is sold at N120, 000 per tonne.

The above facts make the project to be socially desirable and economically viable. It is also technically feasible and highly profitable. With a good management and marketing approach, a minimum profit margin of N20,000 is obtainable from producing a tone of good quality Cassava chips. The project researched on targets a minimum processing capacity of 102 tones per day, which implies an average production output of 25tones per day. This gives a minimum profit margin of N500, 000 which translates to N14, 000, 000 monthly.

However, the cassava chips production process and production capacity of the cassava chips plant can be doubled if the factory operates a two shift program. This by extension doubles the profitability of the venture.

What are the cassava chips production process? There are five step during Cassava chips production process as following:

Cassava peeling machine

a. Cassava peeling:  Production of cassava chips starts with the peeling of the cassava. Peeling can be done mechanically or manually. Mechanical peelers peel as much as 2,400 –2,500Kg per hour with a wastage rate of 30-40% while manual peeling does 22Kg per man hour and wastage of 20-25%. Mechanical peelers are problematic because of the non-uniform nature of the cassava roots and the irregularity in size which make smooth peeling difficult. Also, the thickness of the skin, the texture and the strength of adhesion to the flesh of the tuber differ from specie to specie thereby making over-peeling and under-peeling possible. As a result of these problems, processors prefer manual peeling for now till the mechanical is perfected.

Cassava washing machine

b. Cassava washing: The peeled tubers are thoroughly washed to remove all dirt and sand that may adhere to them. Export requirements insist that sand content should not be more than 2%.

c. Cassava chipping: The washed tubers are carted to the chipping machines where they are chipped into small chips of about 1-2 centimetre thickness and 6-7 cm long. The sizes at times depend on the prescription of the order.

Cassava chips machine

d. Cassava chips drying: The wet chips are taken to the Rotary Dryer where they are dried to 12-14% moisture content.

e. Bagging: they are then weighed and bagged in 50kg polypropylene bags and stored.

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