The cost of living in Kenya has shot up in the last decade and continues to be on the rise. This has seen food prices go up everywhere and people are desperately looking for means to sustain themselves. Any means of relief is highly appreciated by Kenyans.
It is no secret that
Kenya’s staple food, kales and maize, have also shot up in price. Maize flour
prices in the shops are becoming unaffordable as new prices are announced every
now and then. There are many factors that contribute to the rise of maize flour
which include changes in the transportation sector and regional climate.
Amid all this chaos
arise an opportunity that you can capitalize on. Recent research has shown that
demand for unsifted maize flour is high since packed maize flour is proving to
be expensive on a commoner’s pockets. You can seize the opportunity and start a
posho mill in your local area. Posho milling business can be lucrative if
strategically placed. In this article, you will learn on how to set up a
successful posho milling business at the lowest cost possible.
Where to start
Machinery
Every start-up needs
to minimize on its spending for the business to grow. When setting up a posho
mill, you have to minimize your spending on the machinery.
Types of posho
mills and their prices
You are probably
searching for a store with the best posho mill prices in Kenya for your next or
first purchase. However, before making this move, you need to know the suitable
maize milling machine for your venture.
Posho mills are
categorized into three distinct groups: economy, medium and large. Of course,
the categorization is according to their output capacities. Also, these groups
have subgroups based on the quality of output you are looking for.
For instance, if you
are interested in producing grade 1 sifted maize flour, you will need a
particular machine out of the three categories based on your desired output.
Get the idea? So, how much does a poshomill cost and which one should you
settle on?
1. Economy/small
scale posho mill (GM02, GM05, GM10 and GM15)
Economy posho mill
machine prices in Kenya are the lowest considering the equipment is the
smallest. These small posho mills can grind a maximum of three to four (90kg)
bags in an hour. The capacity is perfect for a domestic set-up or a business
with low traffic.
These economy-size
posho mills are ideal where people prefer the meal flour in its original
non-sifted form. If you are looking to produce maize flour in a small scale
set-up, this is the perfect maize milling machine. The average price for the
economy size in Kenya is between Ksh.85,000
and Ksh.200,000, depending on the brand and store that sells the equipment.
2. Medium posho
mill (GM20 and GM25)
A medium-sized one is
the best for business, primarily start-ups. These sophisticated machines can
produce six to eight bags per hour. Also, they are designed for continuous
operation, so you do not have to worry about fast wear and tear.
Of course, the cost
varies, but you can get your hand on one from Ksh.140,000 onwards. However, if
you are looking to produce better quality flour, you’ll have to look into the
grade 1 posho mill price in Kenya for this capacity.
The best thing is that
you can even get the medium posho mill in a combined format.
So, for instance, you can get a regular posho mill and a muthokoi
huller/polisher in one set-up.
3. Large scale
posho mill (GM30 and GM35)
A large scale machine
is ideal if you want to start a posho mill business in Kenya or a large-scale
flour milling plant. It can produce more than 15 bags per hour at maximum
output. How much does a large scale poshomill cost? The price starts at around
Ksh.400,000 and can be higher.
If the area or spot
you plan to set-up your business lacks electricity then it is advisable to buy
a diesel powered miller. Electric ones can be used in areas that have
electricity. You should survey the area you plan to set up the mill before
purchasing a miller. You don’t want to end up with an electrically powered
miller in an area that lacks electricity.
Installation
It is not advisable
trying to install the posho millers by yourself. Let professionals handle this for you. In most
cases, the installation is done by the people whom you buy from but in case you
find yourself lacking this service, seek help from those who have been in this
business before, probably a qualified technician. You might install the miller
wrongly which might result in injuries, breakdowns or reduce the space of your
premises unnecessarily.
Space
The first step will be
identifying a suitable space in the area you intend to set up the posho mill.
Make sure the place is well situated near a road for exposure to passersby. Do
not go for places where the mill is not visible. If you find a spot that is not
next to a road then make sure you put signposts next to a road to direct people
to your posho mill.
Space can turn out to
be expensive depending on the number of millers and their size you intend to
have at the mill. Make sure you look for a place that is strategically placed
and affordable. Consider yourself lucky if you nail yourself some space at a
junction with busy traffic.
Where posho mills
can work greatly
Suburbs — you are likely to run a successful posho mill
in the suburbs. Such areas are highly populated and many families living in
these areas try to minimize their food expenditure as much as they can.
Regulate your price to gain more customers.
Industrial areas — you can set up a profitable posho mill
business in an industrial area too. The only disadvantage of setting in such an
area is that you will have to source for clients from outside before your
business picks. But once people get to know of your posho mill, business will
boom.
Up-country — very few people living up-country buy
sifted maize flour from shops. Most consume un-sifted maize flour and this
makes up-country the best place to set-up a posho mill. The scarcity of posho
mills in these areas also makes the market favorable. Expect good business
during the time of harvest.
Once the mill is up
and running, it is time to add a few things to boost your income. Some of the
things you can consider adding in include cereals that you can sell in the
front area of your mill. You can as well bring maize to sell to your customers
which will see you earn a good profit on every sack of maize sold.
One of the best things
about this business is that very little goes to waste. You can still find a
market for the left-over from the mill. You can sell the leftovers to animal
farmers who can pay a good price for it.
How does a posho
mill work?
The working principle
of a posho mill is easy. The machine has different parts that work together to
produce the final product – flour. The milling/grinding system is the most
important as it crushes the maize to flour. The section utilizes high-speed
rotation.
After the maize is
processed, it will come out from the exit section as flour, ready for
packaging. The entire process happens after you feed your maize into the
feeder.
Is a posho mill
business profitable?
A posho mill is a
profitable venture if you play your cards right. Remember, people that cannot
afford costly packed maize meals prefer the posho mil because it is more
affordable and nutritious.
Also, it would help if
you considered setting up your machinery in areas where it can bring you
business. For instance, you are likely
to make more money in the suburbs, industrial sites, or upcountry.
Maize is Kenya’s
staple. That is why a posho mill business in Kenya will always be a fruitful
venture. If you buy the right equipment and set it up in the ideal location,
you will earn impressive returns.
Dealing with
competition
If there are is more
than one posho mill in your area then create a strategy on how to outsmart your
competitors. Delivering good service and charging affordable rates is one way
of doing it. The other way is introducing a variety of things. It would be a
great idea to have cereals for sale at your mill too.