Flour production as a business

The demand for both raw materials and the final product puts flour production in the category of constantly necessary types of business.

Regardless of the financial condition of buyers, possible problems in the country's economy, people need to eat - they will always buy a quality product at similar prices.

The essence of the business

Flour production is possible not only in large enterprises, as most users are used to.

Recently, most entrepreneurs are trying to minimize the risks associated with financial investments by moving to small businesses.

It is also possible to create your own small milling company at home.

Of course, apartment owners need to find and rent a small room for this.

Having your own home, it is even easier to solve the problem of finding a working area: by freeing up space in the house or by adapting the yard structure to your needs, having previously carried out repairs in it.

In any case, the entrepreneur needs to buy a mini-mill for grinding, as well as:

• established wholesale grain deliveries;
• mastering the grain processing process;
• the ability to understand the quality of the supplied grain;
• establish a permanent sales market.

You can sell flour in bulk, which is beneficial for large production volumes, or retail, trying to keep the product from stagnating for a long time.

After all, the whole essence of the milling business lies in organizing the process of work and getting good profits for it.

The constant demand for the final product, as well as a fairly high and stable level of profit, are the main reasons why flour production does not lose its popularity among entrepreneurs. So how do you open such a business?

The essence of the business idea

You can start such a business even at home from a mini-mill. However, regardless of the size of the business, its essence lies in the following points:

• wholesale purchase of first class grain;
• the process of processing grain into flour;
• retail or wholesale sale of a finished product (flour of different classes - about 60-70% of the final product);
• retail or wholesale of a secondary production product (bran, used as feed for animals and birds - about 30-40% of final product).

Flour technology

Despite the fact that the production of flour of different grades may differ slightly in detail, the main stages of this process remain the same:

• grain preparation. At this stage, the grain is cleaned, it is exfoliated and, if necessary, different varieties are mixed;
• grinding. The result of the process is important for the flour grade. For example, for premium wheat flour, a finer grinding is needed;
• sifting and aspiration;
• packing and packaging of finished flour.

Equipment for flour production

To organize a workshop, the following equipment will be required:

• a device that cleans and prepares grain for grinding - a PTMA unit, 640 thousand rubles;
• a farm mill F1 - 450 thousand rubles;
• flour packing line - about 250 thousand rubles;
• industrial scales - about 35 thousand rubles;
• control device flour quality - 30 thousand rubles;
• machine for packing bags - about 15 thousand rubles.

Production premises

Preparing a room for grinding cereals includes disinfecting the walls with a slaked lime solution, arranging a good ventilation system and a dry workspace.

It is also necessary to ensure that there are no rodents in production.

The flour mill must also have warehouses where grain and flour will be stored.

It is more efficient to use a hopper bottom silo that does not require manual stripping.

In terms of volume, the capacity of the grain warehouse should be such as to ensure uninterrupted operation of the workshop for at least 10 days.

It is hardly necessary to once again talk about the popularity of flour products. Almost all of us buy bread, rolls, biscuits and other similar products on a daily basis. There is a basis for all this - flour. This product of milling wheat and other crops is in demand always and everywhere.

Let's talk about how to set up your own flour production. This is exactly the kind of business that, with the right approach, can generate significant profits. But in the early stages, you will have to work almost all day.

Some general information

As noted above, flour can be made from a variety of grains such as barley, rice, oats, corn, etc. This gives us a wide variety of choices, so if there are supply issues in your area wheat, you can use other grains as raw materials. It should not be forgotten that production will differ slightly depending on the type of raw material selected.

For this simple reason, it is recommended to first decide on the cereals, and only after that purchase the processing line. It is safe to say that Russia has its own raw material base, so most of the products are manufactured here. This suggests that it will be a little easier for you to start, since there will be no competition from foreign companies.

This business can hardly be classified as seasonal. This is due to the fact that bread and pasta are well bought, both in winter and in summer. Of course, during the crisis, the consumption of expensive products, for example, baked goods, decreases, but this is not at all a reason to stop your business. Flour production is a complex technological process that requires quality control at all stages of production.

If you can make a quality product at the end, then you will have plenty of buyers. First of all, these are bakeries. But you, as the future owner of a flour factory, should know that it comes in different qualities. There are first, second and highest grade. It is advisable that you can produce several. In the best of times, you will successfully sell products of the highest grade, and in difficult times, the second. Let's talk about what the technological line consists of, and at the same time consider the process itself.

Purchase of the necessary equipment

Of course, we are unlikely to be able to make something without the availability of appropriate technology. Since it is planned to produce large batches, first of all we will need an elevator through which we will serve flour. It is best to use a chain conveyor. You cannot do without a unit for preliminary preparation and cleaning of raw materials for grinding. The grain will be cleaned of harmful impurities by about 80-95%, after which it will go to high-quality grinding.

You can purchase a PTMA-4 machine, which will be able to process more than a ton of grain per hour. The cost of such a unit is approximately 500-600 thousand rubles. One cannot but mention the main equipment - the mill. You can use a farm mill F1 worth 400-450 thousand rubles. This is a high-performance unit that will allow you to get flour of the highest, first and second grade. Processes approximately 500 kilograms of grain per hour. Such a mill is small in size, so additional organization of the industrial premises is not required.

But it should be said that the flour production process does not end with the above equipment. You will need to purchase sieves as well as air separators. The latter remove third-party inclusions using air currents. You will also need a platform industrial scale. Today they can be bought for about 30-40 thousand rubles.

It is advisable to acquire a machine that will automatically sew bags with products. The price for such a unit ranges from 15 to 20 thousand rubles. By the way, the production of vitamin flour, like any other flour, especially when it comes to large batches, should provide for an automatic filling machine that does not require human intervention.

In the most traditional sense, flour is ground wheat. Today it is produced by large enterprises - mills. These products are in stable demand, since bread is baked everywhere and all the time. And the emergence of new trends leads to consumer interest in non-standard species.

Features of this business

Flour production is a business that does not depend on seasonality, since these products are in demand all year round. On the territory of the Russian Federation, bakery products form the basis of the diet of most people, so there is no shortage of buyers. The only thing that often becomes an obstacle in the path of an entrepreneur is a large number of competitors. Accordingly, one should not only initially focus on the release of a high-quality product, but also carefully consider ways to promote a new brand.

Today, the main flour producers in the country are: Goodwill agricultural holding (Biysk), Aleiskzernoprodukt CJSC (Aleisk), Saratov Macaroni Factory LLC (Engels), Tverdokhleb (Moscow), LLC "PromAgroPak" (Krasnodar), "Petersburg Mill Plant" (St. Petersburg), the company "Nastyusha" (Moscow), JSC "Makfa" (Chelyabinsk), JSC "Kursk Plant of Bread Products" (Kursk) and others.

On store shelves you can find flour from various types of raw materials. To obtain the product are used:

• Wheat. Indispensable for the production of bakery products, pasta and other products. It accounts for 70% of the volume of flour produced on the territory of the Russian Federation.
• Rye. Rich in amino acids, vitamins, trace elements. It is used for the manufacture of culinary and bakery products, nutritional mixtures.
• Corn. Rich in starch, carotene, iron, vitamins PP, E, D, B1. Differs in nutritional value, excellent taste and medicinal properties.
• Barley. Has a rich mineral composition. It normalizes the work of the digestive tract, promotes the elimination of toxins, therefore it is often used as a nutritional supplement.
• Buckwheat. Easily absorbed, has dietary properties. An excellent option for cooking cereals and culinary pastries.
• Oats. Flour is in demand in the confectionery industry and as a food additive. Contains a lot of carbohydrates, nutrients, vitamins of groups A, B, E.
• Fig. A dietary product rich in starch, vitamins, microelements. It is used for the preparation of infant formula, sauces, breading of fish and meat dishes.
• Flax. It is used for medicinal purposes.
• Soy. The product is nutritious and rich in protein. It is a component of many Asian dishes.
• Peas. Used as an alternative to the Asian counterpart.

Equipment for flour production

The equipment is supplied in complexes ready for operation immediately after installation and commissioning. The standard line includes devices of three groups.

Initial complex for preparation of raw materials:

• silos ;
• conveyor (chain or belt);
• aggregates for removing third-party inclusions;
• aggregates hydrothermal treatment;
• devices for checking the quality of raw materials;
• dispensers.

Main (mill) complex:

• crushing plants;
• magnetic separators;
• roller mills;
• sifters;
• aggregates for processing large fractions of crushed grain.

The flour production business, at first glance, seems promising and uncomplicated. The financial indicators that identify the performance are quite high, and according to the reviews of entrepreneurs specializing in this area, we can conclude that the production process is simple. The implementation of the project requires capital investments at the start, but with a competent business organization, they will quickly pay off. Difficulties can be associated with the dominance of the market by large players who are serious competitors. To be ahead of them, you need to be able to present your product as unique and better than other suppliers.

Relevance

Flour is in constant demand. The parameter value is not influenced by the factors of seasonality and the economic situation in the country. When choosing a product, consumers are guided by its type and cost, and often do not pay attention to the manufacturer, which is a bonus for small businesses. The country has a sufficient raw material base for the production process, which is the main advantage of the type of activity. Cereals of any kind can always be purchased as raw materials. To save on its delivery, it is recommended to locate production near granaries, elevators and fields.

Nuances

In order to win his place in the market of goods, an entrepreneur should take into account all the nuances of production and storage of a finished product, which would provide and maintain high quality and taste.

Loyal prices and a well-run advertising campaign can attract consumers. It is worth noting the advantageous position of small businesses operating in this area over large corporations, which is dynamism and favorable taxation.

Risks

Business risks are caused by an unstable sales market, which is associated with great competition. It should also be borne in mind that the quality of the finished product depends entirely on the quality of the supplied grain. And he is influenced by how the crop was harvested. It is also worth considering that if grain is supplied from afar, then the profitability of production drops sharply, and the cost of finished products grows.

Equipment for flour production

The most expensive item in the implementation of a business project is the purchase of equipment. One set can be used for all kinds of raw materials. You will need a silo to store grain crops. It can be equipped with loading, processing or dosing equipment. To move raw materials between the elements of the technological line, you will need belt or chain conveyors.