Garri

Machines and equipment
Diferent machines and types of equipment are used for the diferent stages and types of processing.
Table 1
lists the types and capacity of some machines commonly used to produce gari from cassava. Before
buying
equipment, the processor should ind out about the product qualities required by the market, to ensure
they
produce the most suitable product.
Table 1: Equipment for producing gari
Name/function Capacity Key features required and common problems
Cassava root
peeler
2 tonnes/hour Manual or motorised; labour intensive
Motorised grater 2 tonnes/hour Robust frame; stainless steel grating drum/blades; chute; this is
an essential item in cassava factories, requires regular cleaning and
maintenance
Wooden
fermentation
racks
Number of bags held
depends on length and
strength of racks
Robust frame to prevent breakage and collapse; requires periodic cleaning
to remove starch layers and dirt
Presses for
de-watering
cassava mash
Number of bags held
depends on size of press
Robust frame; needs to be serviced occasionally
Manual or
mechanical sifters
0.2 tonnes/day for
manual and 1 tonne/day

for mechanical sifter
Hole size varies according to grade of gari; manual sieve needs careful
handling to prevent holes becoming too large
Improved gari
roasting bays
3–6 kg per load,
depending on size of tray
Stainless steel material for roasting tray; galvanised steel chimney pipes;
tiled roasting bays; poorly installed bays tend to crack and allow smoke to
enter the processing factory
Grinder 250 kg powder/hour Standard stainless steel grinding surfaces
Bag stitching
machine
1 bag/minute Single stitch or double stitch; regular maintenance required; needs a
2 KVA generator to supply power
Weighing scale 100 to 150 kg capacity Simple to use; needs cleaning and occasional re-setting
Impulse sealer for
polythene sachets
100 packs/hour Simple to use; needs a 2 KVA generator; heating element may need to be
replaced at regular intervals
Skills
For most cassava varieties, a processor can expect to produce 1 tonne of gari from 4 tonnes of fresh
cassava roots. For cassava varieties or clones with a high dry matter content (e.g., variety TME 419), a
processor can expect to produce 1 tonne of gari from 3 tonnes of fresh cassava roots. Processing
cassava roots into gari takes several steps, and processors need to develop their skills in each of the
following:
• Peeling and washing cassava roots
• Grating cassava roots into mash
• De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake
• Sieving wet cake into grits and roasting grits into gari
• Bagging and storing the gari
• Maintaining good hygiene compliance.
Step 1:
Peeling and washing cassava roots
Freshly harvested cassava roots are covered with soil and dirt and some may be damaged or rotten.
Only healthy roots (without rot or other damage) should be transported to the factory. At the factory,
the roots are peeled to remove the outer brown skin and inner thick cream layer and washed to remove
stains and dirt. The water source should be checked regularly to ensure it is not dirty or contaminated.
Items needed :
Fresh, undamaged cassava roots
Means of transporting the roots to the factory
Clean, sharp knives
Source of clean, good quality water
Set of assorted clean containers
Plastic scourer
Step 2:
Grating cassava roots into mash
Cassava roots are traditionally grated into a mash or pulp as part of the
process to remove cyanide and make the roots safe to eat. Traditional
cassava graters are usually made from perforated metal sheets. These rust
quickly and are diicult to keep clean. hey are also very slow and labour intensive to use.
Mechanized graters are needed to produce a suicient quantity of cassava
mash to meet market demands and standards. Smallholder processors
therefore need to learn how to use and maintain these machines.
Step 3:
De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake
De-watering and fermenting complete the process of removing cyanide from the cassava mash. This is
done traditionally by using stones or logs as weights to press excess water out of the bags of cassava
mash. he bags are then left to drain and ferment for a few days. As with traditional graters, these
methods are slow and unhygienic, and are therefore not suitable for a cassava processing business.
Several improved methods are available.
Items needed:
Hydraulic press
Fermentation rack
Bagged cassava mash can be left on the fermentation rack for one or more days before de-watering.
Alternatively, the bags of cassava mash can be pressed for the required number of days, during which
time the mash will ferment. At the end of the fermentation period, the mash will become a irm, wet
cake.
Fermentation periods of longer than one or two days will produce very sour products. Consumer tastes
and preferences will therefore determine the length of the fermentation period.
Step 4:
Sieving wet cake into grits and roasting grits into gari
Gari is made by sieving the wet cake into small pieces – known as grits – and then roasting or frying the
grits in a hot frying tray or pan to form the inal dry and crispy product. Gari is normally white or cream,
but will be yellow when made from yellow cassava roots or when fried with palm oil. It is important to
make sure the taste and smell is acceptable to local consumers. Yellow cassava roots and palm oil are
rich in vitamin A and therefore make nutritious garri.
The product should be free from mould, insects (dead or alive), dirt and any other material that could be
hazardous to health.
Garri is usually classiied by its particle size:
• Extra-fine: passes through 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm aperture sieve
• Fine: passes through 0.5 mm to 1 mm aperture sieve
• Coarse: passes through 1 mm to 1.25 mm aperture sieve
• Extra coarse: passes through 1.25 mm to 2.0 mm aperture sieve.
Hygiene compliance
Maintaining good hygiene is vital for the health of the customers and the processors, as well as to build
and maintain the processor’s reputation, encourage repeat business and grow sales.

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Machines and equipment

produce the most suitable product.

Table 1: Equipment for producing gari

Name/function Capacity Key features required and common problems

2 tonnes/hour Manual or motorised; labour intensive

an essential item in cassava factories, requires regular cleaning and

Number of bags held

depends on length and

Robust frame to prevent breakage and collapse; requires periodic cleaning

to remove starch layers and dirt

Number of bags held

depends on size of press

Robust frame; needs to be serviced occasionally

0.2 tonnes/day for

manual and 1 tonne/day

handling to prevent holes becoming too large

3–6 kg per load,

depending on size of tray

enter the processing factory

Grinder 250 kg powder/hour Standard stainless steel grinding surfaces

1 bag/minute Single stitch or double stitch; regular maintenance required; needs a

2 KVA generator to supply power

replaced at regular intervals

• Peeling and washing cassava roots

• Grating cassava roots into mash

• De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake

• Bagging and storing the gari

• Maintaining good hygiene compliance.

Peeling and washing cassava roots

Means of transporting the roots to the factory

Clean, sharp knives

Source of clean, good quality water

Set of assorted clean containers

Grating cassava roots into mash

Mechanized graters are needed to produce a suicient quantity of cassava

mash to meet market demands and standards. Smallholder processors

therefore need to learn how to use and maintain these machines.

De-watering and fermenting mash into wet cake

Garri is usually classiied by its particle size:

• Extra-fine: passes through 0.25 mm to 0.5 mm aperture sieve

• Fine: passes through 0.5 mm to 1 mm aperture sieve

• Coarse: passes through 1 mm to 1.25 mm aperture sieve

• Extra coarse: passes through 1.25 mm to 2.0 mm aperture sieve.

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