WHAT COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GETTING DIFFERENT QUANTITY YIELD OF GARRI FROM PROCESSING SAME QUANTITY OF CASSAVA TUBERS?

1. CASSAVA VARIETY USED:

Except you have access to hybrid varieties like Dixon and Fine Face, it is advised that you go for local varieties when you are considering garri production. Getting high quantity yield in garri production requires that the cassava variety to be used has balanced combination of fibre content and starch content. While the residual starch quantity after fermentation is required for the optimum rise of the Garri during frying, it is the fibre quality of the tuber that will determine if the fermented mash will have the body to support the rise.

In many other hybrid cassava varieties like TME 419 and the likes, the starch content is considerably very high with minimal fibre. While these varieties will also produce very good quality garri, the quantity yield would be so low compare the choice varieties suitable for garri production.

2. PERIOD OF FERMENTATION:

This is the period of time that the grated cassava mash is allowed to rest before its dewatering/pressing for onward frying. This unit operation is particularly essential in the production of the white sour garri. The longer the fermentation period, the more the sourness of the garri produced, which is highly reference as good quality attribute particularly for drinking garri.

However, the longer the fermentation period, the lower the eventual garri yield.

So, except if your target market is willing to pay for the extra quality value of sourness of the garri, it will be economically wise that the processor limits the fermentation period to between 3-4 days. And if you had already allowed the tuber to cured for about 24 hours after harvesting, you can terminate the active fermentation by dewatering/pressing the grated mash after 24hrs or 48 hours base on the sourness quality you desire.

In a bid to prevent quantity loss when you are producing super sour garri like the popular garri ijebu, you can achieve an accelerated fermentation by introducing innoculum from the already well fermented mash (of about 4-5 days fermentation) into freshly grated mash being prepared for new fermentation. Just two handfuls from the previously fermented mash is enough for about 40kg of the newly grated mash.

The above practice will enable you to achieve same degree of sourness you desire in 7-8 days fermentation even within just 4 days. And you will equally save a sizeable quantity which would have been probably loss to longer fermentation period.

3. SEASON/MOISTURE CONTENT OF THE TUBER

Cassava tubers harvested at the peak period of raining season do have very high moisture content, which is responsible for their low yield in garri production compare with same quantity harvested when the soil relatively dried.

When the moisture content of the tuber is at its peak, the starch content is relatively low and the fibre strength is equally weak.

Cassava tubers meant for garri that is harvested during the intense raining season could be left under a shade to cure for about about 24 hours before peeling for production. This pra enables the excessive moisture content to drain up a little bit and the tissue system strengthen up. With this, the required fermentation period could also be reduced by up to 24 hours.

There is usually a significant difference in quantity yield and whiteness of the finished garri produced from cured tubers compared with those processed immediately particularly during the raining season.

4. LEVEL OF DRYNESS OF THE GARRI:

Dryness is one of the highly desired quality attributes in garri. The dryness of garri determines its keeping quality and it also favour the final user or consumer, as very dried garri rise in volume better either in hot water when making 'eba' or in cold water when it is soaked for drinking.

While the dryness of garri favours the end buyers or users in terms of volume yield, processors do not get favourable quantity yield from a well dried garri compare with moderately dried or the type that is not given fire dryness at all. Thus, a processors must let the market value he/she is targeting to determine the extent of dryness of the product so that he/she would not be at the economic disadvantage at the end.

5. PARTICLE SIZE:

One other factor that determine the difference in quantity yield during garri production is the particle size of the garri, which is also a function of quality target.

The high end quality market requires that the particle size of the garri is small. If this is not well controlled right from the grater's teeth size, considerable quantity of garri would be separated out as part of lumps during the sifting operation, especially when the mesh size is of very low microns. Essentially, one has to be intentional about the particle size of the garri he/she is producing base on the target market and this need to be taken care of right from the grating unit operations.

There might be more operations or factors that determine these differences but these are the little that could come to my mind now base on my little experience in the business of Commercial Garri Processing. I will also appreciate if I can equally learn from your own additional inputs.

God no go shame us.

Kazeem Lamidi

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