Cassava starch production in Nigeria: The opportunities

Cassava (Manihort Esculentus (Euphorbiacea)) is grown in all the states of the Federation with the current production level being about 45 million metric tones per annum; a figure expected to double by 2020. Nigeria is the leading cassava producer in the world, producing a third more than Brazil and almost double the production capacity of Thailand and Indonesia. Although it is the world leader in cassava production, 90% of the annual production in Nigeria is targeted for the domestic food market.

Cassava tuber

Cassava has the potential to industrialize Nigeria more than any other product if its potentials are properly harnessed, cassava will not only be a white gold but an alternative to oil as a non-oil foreign exchange earner and a key instrument for job creation and catalyst for development.

It is in realization of this fact that lead government to prioritize the cultivation , processing and export of cassava in the years past thereby leading to what is been referred to as the cassava revolution in Nigeria.

Starch is one of products that can be processed from cassava tubers and some of the machinery and equipment required for cassava starch production includes peelers/knives, cassava graters/granulators, pulp-sifters, dryers, pulverizers, and bagging machines.

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The major raw material required for the production of cassava starch though starch can be produced from maize, potato and other such products and the manufacturing process for cassava starch is as follows.

First the uprooted raw cassava tubers are peeled with the use of knives or peelers, then the peeled cassava is taken to the granulator. The function of the granulator is to mill the cassava into pulp. The pulp is then taken to pulp sifter. The pulp sifter is to separate the starch and chaff. It also extracts starch from the pulp. Attached to the pulp sifter is a machine that collects the extracted starch from the pulp. At this stage, the starch is coagulated and is still wet.

Cassava washing and peeling machine

From here the coagulated starch is taken to the dryer. The temperature of the dryer must be that of the sun, between 27 c to 37 c, in order not to change the colour from the starch to black or brown. The starch is dried to 0.5 of its moisture content.

The next stage is pulverizing which is done by the pulverizer.The function of the pulverizer is to mill the dried starch to flour. After milling to powder, the next stage is packaging, which can done in sachets, sacks etc.