Setting Up Soyamilk, Yoghurt Plant

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

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 equipment, 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: 0823664368, 08034494437 Email: ubagodwin@yahoo.com

Related Articles