Processors' Experience in the Use of Flash Dryer for Cassava-derived Products in Nigeria

Abstract

This study was designed and carried out to ascertain the situation and perceptions of end users of cassava flash drying equipment in Nigeria with the aim of giving suggestions to policies and approaches for improved technology. Forty-one processing firms were selected and interviewed. Descriptive analyses were used and a logistic regression model was estimated. The results revealed that 49% of the firms stopped using their flash dryers due to the low demand for high-quality cassava flour (HQCF) resulting from the high cost of processing occasioned by an inefficient heat-generating component. The estimated model provides evidence that cost effectiveness (p < 0.05) and energy cost (p < 0.10) are the two major determinants of the continuous usage of flash dryers in the study area. Forty-one percent of the firms indicated willingness to pay for any technical adjustment of their flash dryers, supposing such adjustment would improve on drying and the energy efficiency of the equipment up to 40%. The study recommends that machine fabricators in Nigeria and other African countries should be trained on the production of energy- and cost-efficient small-scale flash dryers. Again, the design and commercialization of flash dryers that can be mounted on mobile trucks for farm-gate processing should be encouraged to facilitate farm-gate processing, thereby reducing postharvest losses resulting from transporting perishable and bulky roots over a long distance.

Cost-Effective Cassava Processing: Case Study of Small-Scale Flash-Dryer Reengineering

“…However, so far, there has been little use of the resulting models of locally built, small-scale flash dryers due to high energy consumption related to suboptimal design and consequently high production costs incompatible with market prices of final products. For instance, in Nigeria between 2006 and 2016, 157 cassava processors have invested in "first-generation" flash dryers to produce HQCF, most of which are no longer in use in spite of some improvements (Ojide et al 2021).…”

“…In Nigeria, a recent survey of 41 HQCF processors to Fig. 4.1 Key components common to all flash-dryer designs ascertain current perceptions on flash dryers found that 50% of them have stopped producing in the past 10 years and that most see their market prospects as limited (Ojide et al 2021). Processors who remain in operation have done so through costsaving measures: being near the source of raw materials and the end-product market, thus cutting transportation costs; replacing petroleum-based fuels with more economical coal or agricultural biomass; and diversification to produce gari or fufu when there is no demand for HQCF.…”

Development of a pilot scale energy efficient flash dryer for cassava flour

“…By evaporation, drying removes moisture from solids to increase their shelf life, reduce transportation costs and make storage easier (Aghbashlo et al, 2008). The most energy-intensive process step in the production of high-quality cassava flour is drying, and keeping it under control is critical to ensuring the quality of the finished product (Tran et al, 2022) since the roots must be processed within 24 to 48 h of harvesting to reduce its toxicity and increase its shelf life, according to Ndaliman (2008). When cassava is processed into high-quality cassava flour, value is added to the product, its shelf life is extended, and transportation is made easier by the processing of cassava into high-quality cassava flour (Tran et al, 2022).…”

“…The most energy-intensive process step in the production of high-quality cassava flour is drying, and keeping it under control is critical to ensuring the quality of the finished product (Tran et al, 2022) since the roots must be processed within 24 to 48 h of harvesting to reduce its toxicity and increase its shelf life, according to Ndaliman (2008). When cassava is processed into high-quality cassava flour, value is added to the product, its shelf life is extended, and transportation is made easier by the processing of cassava into high-quality cassava flour (Tran et al, 2022). Drying is a common problem that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face when processing cassava starch (Suherman et al, 2015).…”

“…Drying is a common problem that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face when processing cassava starch (Suherman et al, 2015). Roots are traditionally dried in the sun, but a dryer is needed to produce a higher-quality and much more hygienic product (Tran et al, 2022). There are numerous advantages to using mechanical drying equipment rather than sun drying for drying fine granule products.…”