Cassava Starch Processing Line: A Gateway to Agro-Industrial Diversification

08/08/2025

In the evolving landscape of agricultural transformation, cassava chips and pellets offer one of the most accessible, affordable, and export-friendly processing options for cooperatives and rural entrepreneurs. With minimal infrastructure and investment, emerging market actors can convert raw cassava into valuable industrial feedstock and livestock feed.

This article presents the Cassava Chips & Pellets Production Line as a gateway to inclusive agro-industrialization, with attractive financial indicators and strong market pull—both locally and internationally.

1. 🏭 Project Overview

The Cassava Chips & Pellets Production Line is designed to transform fresh cassava tubers into dry, shelf-stable products—either as chips or densified pellets. These can be stored long-term, fed to animals, or exported to starch and bioethanol manufacturers.

2. 🎯 Output

  • Cassava Chips: Dried, sliced cassava for livestock feed or industrial processing

  • Cassava Pellets: Compressed chips formed into uniform, dense pellets for bulk export

  • By-products: Peels (used in feed or compost), offcuts

3. 🐮 Final Products & Uses

  • Livestock Feed: Especially for poultry, pigs, and ruminants

  • Export Material: Sold to large-scale starch and ethanol producers in Asia, Europe, and BRICS countries

  • Domestic Agro-Industry: Flour mills, breweries, ethanol plants

  • Feed Mixing Plants: As a high-carb base ingredient

4. ⚙️ Key Machines & Equipment

  • Cassava Slicer/Chipper – manually or electrically powered

  • Dryer – solar rack dryer, tunnel dryer, or rotary mechanical dryer

  • Pelletizer – for densifying into standardized pellets

  • Sieve – to separate fines and ensure uniformity

  • Packaging Unit – for bulk bagging (25–50kg) or export containers

5. 📈 Market Demand & Growth Factors

  • Global starch/alcohol industry sources cassava chips from Africa and Asia

  • High demand from China, India, and Europe for ethanol feedstock

  • Feed mills seek local alternatives to maize and wheat

  • Pelletized cassava offers better storage, transport, and value than raw cassava

  • Ideal for climate-smart agriculture zones due to cassava's drought tolerance

6. 💰 Financial Indicators (Small–Medium Plant)

Indicator Estimate
Initial Investment (CAPEX) $8,000 – $35,000 (depending on dryer type)
Daily Processing Capacity 2–5 tons of fresh cassava
Monthly Operating Costs $1,500 – $4,000
Selling Price (chips/pellets per ton) $120 – $300 (local/export)
Gross Profit Margin 25% – 40%
Break-even Period 9–15 months
ROI (3-year horizon) 170% – 250%
Direct Jobs Created 8–15 (especially in rural cooperatives)

7. 🌍 Local and Export Impact

✅ Quick-start project for low-income farming communities
✅ Reduces cassava post-harvest loss
✅ Boosts rural income and women's involvement in agro-processing
✅ Opens export pathways for cooperatives
✅ Lays the foundation for starch, flour, or ethanol upgrades

8. 🧭 Projet Assistance: Partnering for Local Value Addition

At Projet Assistance, we support the development of cassava chip and pellet units through:

  • Turnkey design and layout for cooperatives

  • Equipment sourcing (solar, manual, or mechanical)

  • Training in drying and quality standards

  • Export matchmaking and packaging compliance

  • Business model structuring for rural scale-up

📩 Interested in launching a cassava export or feed project?

👉 Email: youta@projet-assistance.com
👉 Projet Assistance – Empowering agro-value chains from the ground up

Share