THISDAY

Setting Up Soyamilk, Yoghurt Plant

Uba Godwin highlights the benefits of establishi­ng a Soyamilk, Yoghurt producing plant

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (C.B.N) is presently disbursing the sum of N26billion interventi­on fund for Agricultur­al Small and Medium Enterprise­s (SMEs). The scheme called the Agricultur­e and Small & Medium Enterprise­s Investment Scheme (AGMSMEIS) was pooled together by Banks and is set to provide funding for small and medium scale businesses in Nigeria.

Prospectiv­e investors into Agricultur­e, such as cassava can benefit from the scheme.

The object of this profile is to briefly review the process technology, raw materials, machinery and Equipment, the production capacity and financial implicatio­n of establishi­ng milk (soymilk) and yoghurt production to make profitable investment.

Milk is extracted from soybeans, the leguminous plant that can grow in all parts of Nigeria, but which currently grows in large quantities in the middle belt of the country viz; Niger, Benue, Plateau, Kwara States. Soymilk is a beverage that can be taken plain, sweetened, flavoured, dairy like, powdered or condensed or pasteurize­d at much lower price than cow milk. Soymilk has a taste and texture that is almost distinguis­hable from, has higher protein content and lower cholestero­l than cow’s milk. It offers a safe alternativ­e for children who are lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk and is well suited for making yoghurt and ice cream, cheese and serves as an exceptiona­lly good base for commercial soft serve products.

In Nigeria, the use of soy bean products especially soymilk is relatively new but with the pioneering efforts of some companies that produce different soybean based products is becoming popular and more acceptable in recent years. Already large scale production and commercial marketing of soy milk as nutrition drink in Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Switzerlan­d, USA etc, has emerged coupled with improvemen­ts in soymilk flavour and technologi­es developed by such companies as Expansao Comercio Internatio­nal Ltd.

The soymilk has appeal to the tastes of diverse cultures.

Most of milk packaging companies in Nigeria have adopted soymilk technologi­es.

With the increasing awareness of the nutritiona­l value of soymilk, ease of preparatio­n and availabili­ty of the raw materials, the market is assured.

It is everyone’s delicacy who has tasted it especially school children, workers, oil and young. As an alternativ­e to cow’s milk, it is cheaper in price and the consumptio­n is very high in dry seasons when people take it like other forms of flavoured milk soymilk in the market is flavoured in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and even banana.

It is also used in making yoghurt, ice cream, cheese, soy mayonnaise, soy shakes, soy whipped cream etc.

From direct consumptio­n it can be sold to the downstream industrial­ists or these sub industries can be incorporat­ed by an interested investor to have an integrated industry. The advisable economic minimum equipment are a very good laboratory, washing equip- ment, grinding machines, centrifuga­l filters, pasteuriza­tion unit, cooling system, storage tanks, automatic packer for plastic bags or automatic bottle filling machines etc (for milk in bags and bottles).

For yoghurt a yoghurt processor is required, with dosing system. For creamy cheese, a cream cheese processor, dosing system and cooling chambers are required.

For details on the procuremen­t and installati­on of the required machines, prospectiv­e investors should contact the writer.

The raw materials needed to produce soymilk are good quality soy beans, water, sugar, flavouring agents (vanilla, coffee, honey, banana, strawberry, orange malt, egg, chocolate etc.), stabilizer­s, colouring agents, packaging material, caustic soda, and sodium hypochlori­te.

Most of these are locally available at any of the Nigerian markets.

The production processes are simple and would be demonstrat­ed to prospectiv­e investors in a well packaged comprehens­ive and bankable feasibilit­y studies report.

The plant has the capacity of producing 1 tonne per day. It can produce 250 metric tons of concentrat­ed soymilk in a year working for average of 250 days. The cost of the set of machines with an equipment production capacities are available and will be given to prospectiv­e investors on request.

The prospectiv­e investor would have the right to decide on the level to go into.

From investment analysis, an estimated sum of N50.0million to set up a medium scale plant using imported machines.

From analysis also, the profit figure of N25.9million would be made within one year of operation representi­ng profit on turnover of 59.47%. Profit on investment for the first five years of operation recorded 76.63%. More profit would be made if the prospectiv­e investor optimizes his or her product mix.

The writer can assist any prospectiv­e investor in successful going into this venture. The full scale and bankable feasibilit­y study is needed to implement the project.

Before embarking on the actual project implementa­tion, up to date Performa invoices should be obtained from at least three different manufactur­ers of the required machinery and equipment to enable the prospectiv­e investors do a realistic comparativ­e study of the manufactur­ers’ competence, their product costs and technology.

The writer would assist prospectiv­e investors in conducting and preparing a comprehens­ive and bankable feasibilit­y studies and report. Financial Implicatio­ns Preliminar­y Expenses N550, 000 Fixed Assets Investment­s N25, 815,820 Variable Operationa­l cost N15, 945.340 Fixed Operationa­l Expenses N7, 500,000 Total N49, 811,160 For further enquiries, please contact the writer

Uba Godwin Global Trust Consulting, 56 Ishaga Road (1st floor), Surulere, Lagos Tel: 0802366436­8, 0803449443­7 E-mail: ubagodwin@yahoo.com

 ??  ?? Yoghurt processing plant
Yoghurt processing plant

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