Gari (also known as tapioca or Garri) is the most commonly sold processed cassava product in Ghana and Africa today. Estimates suggest that more than 75% of the cassava grown in Africa ends up being processed into gari.
Gari prices are often thought of as a good way to figure out how much cassava people want and how much is available.
However, the price of cassava and its derivatives has skyrocketed in recent years, particularly in Ghana. Because of Africa’s population expansion, it has become impossible to produce enough cassava to feed a large number of ‘ordinary” Ghanaians.
Even though Ghana has a good climate, fertile soils, and cheap labor, it hasn’t been able to fully benefit from the huge profits made by the world’s cassava trade.
The gari prices are a good indicator of the demand for and supply of cassava in the market. Fufu, lafun, and abacha are some of the other processed cassava products that are popular in the traditional (food) market. Although it is still in the early stages of development, the potential for automated cassava processing in Ghana is quite great.
In this post, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to produce garri in Ghana. This post is meant for people who want to produce Garri for sale as well as those who want to produce it for personal consumption.
Gari Production in Ghana: Step by Step Guide
The following are the primary phases in the garri-producing process:
- Sorting the cassava tuber: Some roots of the cassava tuber may be damaged or decayed after harvesting. These are sorted in order to pick the wholesome roots for processing; only healthy roots (i.e., those that are free of rot or other damage) should be used in the processing procedure.
- Cleaning and peeling cassava roots: Freshly gathered cassava roots are coated with soil and dirt, and they must be washed and peeled. In the garri production process, the roots are peeled to remove the outer brown skin and the inner thick cream layer, and they are then cleaned to remove stains and debris. It is important to check the water supply on a regular basis to ensure that it is not filthy or polluted.
- Grating of the cassava: Gratification of cassava is a step in the process of removing cyanide and making the root suitable for consumption. Automatic graters are needed in the cassava mash manufacturing process in order to make enough cassava mash to meet market and industry needs.
- The de-watering and fermentation stages: This is where the cyanide in the cassava mash is removed. The amount of water in the mash is reduced by the use of a hydraulic press. After that, the bags are left to drain and ferment for a few days before being used again.
- Granulating: Cassava mash is mechanically reduced in size, resulting in fine granules with a higher surface area, also known as grits.
- Gari frying: The grits are roasted or fried in a hot frying tray or pan to produce a dry and crispy texture. Garri is often white or cream in color, although it can be yellow if prepared from yellow cassava roots or fried in palm oil. Gari is created from yellow cassava roots or fried in palm oil. It is critical to ensure that the flavor and odor are acceptable to local customers before proceeding. Gari is made from yellow cassava roots and palm oil, which are both high in vitamin A and provide a nutritious source of energy. They are stretched on a high platform in the open air to cool and dry after they have been roasted.
- Sieving: The Gari is sieved to remove coarse particles, and a standard-sized sieve is used to generate fine granules from the coarse particles once they have been separated. The big grains are broken down into smaller pieces with the help of a grinder.
That’s all in the step-by-step guide on garri production in Ghana.
