ADONAI ENTREPRENEURSHIP COLLEGE OF SCIENCE &

APPLIED SCIENCES

ENTREPRENEURSHIP PRACTICAL PRESENTATION

Team C

Project/Product Title:

YAM FLOUR PRODUCTION

Team Members:

1 ADESANYA Samuel Ifeoluwa WAU/23/Ad/0127

2 ADEYIGA Ademola Aderotimi WAU/23/Ad/0105

3 AKINYELE Deborah Omolayo WAU/23/Ad/0103

4 CHINOYEREM Chiamaka WAU/23/Ad/0114

Tovia
5 DESTINY Praise Kosiso WAU/Ad/23/0149

November 2023
CONTENT

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SWOT ANALYSIS

3. YAM ANALYSIS

I. YAM VARIETIES

4. YAM FLOUR ANALYSIS

I. THE MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PROCESS YAM FLOUR

II. PRODUCTION PROCCESS

III. PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY

IV. YAM FLOUR PRODUCTION FLOW CHART

V. METHOD APPLICATION FOR PEELING

VI. MARKETING
 INTRODUCTION

To prepare the presentation of project analysis of a product and prepare a

report highlighting the product, brand, industry, market competition,
marketing strategy and also the INDUSTRAL process for processing yam
into instant YAM Flour. The product that was chosen under this
presentation called (YAM FLOUR PRODUCTION)

1.
 SWOT ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Availability and easy accessibility to raw-materials

 Access to cheap labour

 Thorough knowledge of target market and their peculiar needs

 The organization structure shall be function-based and each employee shall have a
clearly

defined strategy and goal plan.

WEAKNESS

 The business is a startup and the future is always uncertain for most startup
companies

 The initial stages of the business requires an enormous amount of investment

OPPORTUNITIES

 The yam processing food production industry is still untapped

 Fast growing middle class population within Nigeria

 Huge population of Nigerians living abroad.

THREATS

This being a new entity there is a threat from new business entrants

Cheap imitation instant pounded yam flooding the market

Non-compliance with strict NAFDAC regulations on production

There is a threat of other more established companies starting this line of business thus
leading to stiff competition that the company might not be able to cope with.

2.
 YAM (DIOSCOREA SPP).

Yam, as we may already know, is root and tuber. Yam is a rich source of water, Carbohydrate,
vitamin B complex, vitamin C, Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese, Essential amino acid
such as Phenylalanine and b.

Yam a raw material to other food products can be sourced in large quantities from the following
states in Nigeria: Benue, Niger, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kogi, Oyo, Ondo,and Delta.

is a multi-species crop that originated principally from Africa and Asia before spreading to other
parts of the world (Hahn et al.,1987). It belongs to the family of dioscoreae within the genus
dioscorea and serves as a staple crop in west Africa.(Asiedu et al., 1992). There are many
cultivars of yam, though only six are important as staple foods in the tropics.

Yam tubers which is the most important part of the plants can be stored longer than other root
and tuber crops. This ensures food security even in times of general scarcity. Yam is the third
most important tropical root and tuber crop after cassava and sweet potato (fu et al., 2005). West
Africa is the leading producer of yam and grows over 90% of the worldwide production (40
tonnes fresh tuber/year) followed by the west Indians where Jamaica is the leading producer
(FAOSTAT,2004). Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of yams followed by Ghana, ivorycoast
and togo (FAO,2003). Both fresh tubers and yam flour are now exported from Ghana and Nigeria
to developed countries such as united kingdom and united states of America.

Yams are high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese; while being low in
saturated fat and sodium. Worldwide yam production in 2007 amounted to 52 million tons, of which
Africa produced 96%. Most of the world’s production comes from West Africa representing 94%,
with Nigeria alone producing 71%, equaling more than 37 million tons. Though yams can be stored
up to six months without refrigeration most of the yearly production is lost through spoilage
because of lack of post-harvest facility in the country.

3.
 YAM VARIETIES:

 White Yam {eight-month yam) known as (Dioscorea rotundata) has white or cream flesh,
stores well and produces high yields. It matures 8 months after planting.

 Yellow Yam {twelve-month yam) known as (Dioscorea dumetorum) has yellow flesh and
matures only 12 months after planting. It does not store well nor does it produce high
yields. If continually tapped it grows for as long as 3 years.

 Water yam (ten-month yam) also known as (Dioscorea alata) has white, red, or purple
flesh which is very soft because of its high water content. Its storage qualities are poor.

 Three-Leaved Yam (bitter yam) known as (Dioscorea cayensis) has yellow, white or pink
flesh of poor quality, but it produces high yields. Its leaves are prickly with three little
leaves and the stem climbs clockwise.

 Aerial Yam {potato yam or air potato) does not develop tubers but bulbils that grow in the
axils of the leaves or underground. It is of relatively poor quality and is not widely grown,
but it stores well.

 Chinese Yam (lesser yam) produces very small tubers with pale-yellow smooth skin that
resemble sweet potatoes. It does not store well and matures in 12 months. Its stem is

4
 YAM FLOUR

Yam flour (off-white fine flour) also known as Elubo is used to prepare Amala. Amala is mostly
consumed by the Yoruba people from the south-west of Nigeria. Ikokoro and white yam are the
major varieties of yam used in yam flour production. Physically damaged yams

can also be used to prevent food wastage/food loss.

Yam flour is produced by grinding dried yams into powder. A yam is hearty tuber does not have
the sweet taste of sweet potato, but instead may have flavors that range from bland to earthly,
slightly smoky in taste, or nutty and only moderately sweet.

THE MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PROCESS YAM FLOUR

A. Yam Peeler (could be done manually)

B. Boiler

C. Dryer

D. International Standard Scale

E. Automatic Sealing Machine

F. Packaging Machine

The machinery and equipment required for production can be sourced locally or from abroad, and
they include;

All the above machines and processing technology can be obtained locally. The machines can as
well be imported. The addresses of where to obtain both locally made machines and imported
ones will be given to prospective investors on reaching to the writer.

5.
 THE PRODUCTION PROCESS IS HIGHLIGHTED BELOW;

Yam selection: fresh harvested yam gotten from the farm are sorted to select whole-some
tubers that are suitable for the production of instant pounded yam flour. Usually the mature white
varieties of yam are most suitable.

Weighing; the selected yam are weighed properly

Washing; the yam tubers are washed properly in order to get rid of sand and other extraneous
materials.

Peeling and slicing; the washed yam tubers are peeled and then sliced to desired thickness.

Parboiling; the sliced yam are then put into boiling water over a period of time depending on the
thickness of the slices.

Drying; the parboiled yam slices are dried in a dryer at a specified drying temperature and time.

Milling; the dried yam slices are milled directly into flour of uniform particle size.

Packaging; the instant pounded yam flour is the finally packaged in moisture proof nylon bags.

PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY
The process involved in yam flour production is:

Procurement of good quality tubers:

The first step to producing yam flour is getting the white variety of yam tubers
(rotundata). Sometimes, to avoid wastage, yam tubers which are about spoiling are used
to make yam flour.

Peeling of yam tubers:

This is the removal of the outer corky periderm. The method of peeling varies. The
general methods apply include:

a) Steam Peeling: This involves the exposure of the tubers to steam pressure for a
period of time. The process may be in batches or continuous. During this steam pressure,
the steam penetrates the pressure cortex, often the peel results in a slight expansion of
the space between the peel and the cortex. This makes it easy for the peels to be
removed when subject to minor abrasive or mechanical processing.

6.
b) Chemical Peeling: This involves the immersion of the yam tuber in some nontoxic
chemical such as caustic soda solution of low concentration which helps to soften the
peel. Usually, when this method is used, they are coupled with the use of heat. The
process is controlled by varying the concentration of the dye and its temperature for
effective peeling process. One major setbacks of this method is the need to use a large
volume of water to remove the effect of the chemical during the post-peeling washing.

c) Mechanical peeling: The basic mechanical method includes the abrasive peelers, rotary
laid mounted rim peelers and use of belt conveyor. In the abrasive peeler, the peeler
consists of a vertical cylinder with a rotating disc in the bottom and a hinge cover at the
top. Abrasive grits may be applied to the inner walls of the chambers or to rotating disc or
both. A measured load of the root or tuber is put into the cylinder and when the disc is
rotated, the tuber spins or thimble so that the peels are rubbed off when the tubers shall
against the abrasive surface.

Soaking of yam tubers: After peeling the yam tubers, they are cut into smaller sizes
called flakes after which they are parboiled at 50 oC in 2 minutes and allowed to cool in
the water in which they were parboiled.
Drying : Drying is done to reduce the moisture content in the yam flakes. The yam flakes
are dried in the drying chamber at a particular temperature. This helps reduce the growth
of moulds and other bacterial micro-organisms which may affect the quality of the yam
flour. It also ensures freshness and preservation of the quality of yam flour produced.
Milling: Dried yam flakes are milled in a miller until a uniform particle size is achieved.

Bagging and Packaging: The yam flour produced are bagged and packaged in an air-tight
bag to avoid the growth of mould and other micro-organisms which may occur as result of
moisture and air.

Machinery and Equipment

The major machinery and equipment for production of instant pounded yam flour are:Yam
Slicer / Yam dryer / Yam Blancher / Hammer mill with cyclone / Packaging machine /
Weighing Scale.

7.
 PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

Production of instant pounded yam flour includes the following simple unit operations:

Yam Selection: Fresh harvested yams gotten from the farm are sorted to select whole-
some tubers that are suitable for the production of instant pounded yam flour. Usually the
mature white varieties of yam are most suitable for the production of instant pounded
yam flour. During the selection process, wholesome tubers are sorted out. While sorting,
yam tubers that got disfigured during the harvesting are rejected. It is important to
carefully select otherwise internal deterioration may have started especially if the yam
tubers have been stored for a long period of time. This may have caused the enzymes
present in the tubers to bring about deterioration due to the temperature of the storage
area or facility (barn, store house, underground, etc). if the yam tubers have been
exposed to some light, this type of condition can also lead to spoilage which may not be
visible by mere looking at the yam tubers. A simple way of detecting spoilage is by
scalping off the back of the yam tuber and viewing it for some seconds. If there is internal
spoilage, it will show brown to black discoloration in few seconds; depending on the level
of spoilage. After selection and sorting of the yam tubers comes weighing.

Weighing: The second unit operation after the sorting of the yam tubers is weighing and it
involves using a measuring balance to determine the weight of the yam tubers.

Washing : After weighing the yam tubers, they must be thoroughly washed to remove all
dirts and dust particles. This is to ensure that the end product is hygienically produced
without germs.

Peeling: This is the removal of the outer corky periderm. The method of peeling varies.

Slicing: After washing and peeling, the yam tubers are sliced into desired thickness
before the blanching. The thicker the width, the longer the period required for blanching.

Steam Blanching: Blanching is a cooking process wherein the food substance, usually a
vegetable or fruit, is scalded in boiling water, removed after a brief, timed interval, and
finally plunged into iced water or placed under cold running water (shocking or refreshing)
to halt the cooking process.

8.
The meaning of blanch is “to whiten”, but this is not always the purpose of blanching in
cooking. Food is blanched to soften it, or to partly or fully cook it When the yam clips turn
brown, the color of the yam flour after milling will also be brownish due to the fact that the
color of the dried yam chips must affect the color of the flour after milling. The purpose
of blanching operation is to reduce the browning or discoloration of the yam chips when
milled into flour and will have brighter color and a more acceptable look or appearance to
compare with unbalanced yam flour. The blanching temperature is the most important
parameter in the unit operation. This is because, if the temperature is not up to achieved
deactivation, the purpose of blanching is not achieved. Blanching preserves the flavour of
the yam tubers even after milling into flour.

Drying: Drying is defined as a process of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer in

which heat is required to evaporate the moisture that flows from the product into an
external drying medium usually; air. This prevents the growth of micro- organisms. Drying
is important because not only does it prevent microbial growth, it also preserves the
colour, texture, flavour and nutritive value of the product.

Milling: Milling is aimed at grinding the dried yam materials to the required particle size
for fine flour. Good milling quality gives good reliable fine flour. There are many types of
milling machines used in the milling of food products. However, the hammer mill machine is
good for the instant Pounded Yam Flour processing operations as it is efficient in
obtaining the particle size.

Packaging and Storage: After the production of the instant pounded yam flour, it is
important to ensure that it is well packaged. It is still prone to spoilage if not well packaged.
The flour can re-absorb moisture from the atmosphere and microbial activity can take
placefrom this point. The packaging material should be as such that there will be no
interaction between the packaged product (flour) and the external environment. For this
reason, the product should be packaged in airtight and moisture proof polyethylene bags.
Yam, after packaging can be effectively stored for a long period of time of about
12months or more. It should be stored in environments where rodents and insects are
absent because rodents and insects cause a great deal of damage to stored yam flour.

9.
 METHODS APPLICATION FOR PEELING
a. Steam Peeling: This involves the exposure of the tubers to steam pressure for a
period of time. The process may be in batches or continuous. During this steam pressure,
the steam penetrates the pressure cortex, often the peel results in a slight expansion of
the space between the peel and the cortex. This makes it easy for the peels to be
removed when subject to minor abrasive or mechanical processing.

b. Chemical Peeling: This involves the immersion of the yam tuber in some non-toxic
chemical such as caustic soda solution of low concentration which helps to soften the
peel. Usually, when this method is used, they are coupled with the use of heat. The
process is controlled by varying the concentration of the lye and its temperature for
effective peeling process. One major setbacks of this method is the need to use a large
volume of water to remove the effect of the chemical during the post-peeling washing.

c. Mechanical peeling: The basic mechanical method includes the abrasive peelers, rotary
laid mounted rim peelers and use of belt conveyor. In the abrasive peeler, the peeler
consists of a vertical cylinder with a rotating disc in the bottom and a hinge cover at the
top. Abrasive grits may be applied to the inner walls of the chambers or to rotating disc or
both. A measured load of the root or tuber is put into the cylinder and when the disc is
rotated, the tuber spins or thimble so that the peels are rubbed off when the tubers shall
against the abrasive surface.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATION OF YAM FLOUR PRODUCTION

The entire Production plant for this model would cost about 2.3 Million Naira excluding
generator plant and mini vehicle for distribution which is optional.. Working capital
requirement are expected to be budgeted for at least 3 months of production including
fresh yams, staff emoluments, emoluments and energy.

MARKET FOR YAM FLOUR

The market is both local and international. The later should be targeted where there is
preponderance of inhabitants of Africans in Europe, America and Asian countries. Based on
research, some marketing points internationally have been established and would be given to
prospective investors.

10.