Woman Applies Food Processing Technology to Add Value, Maximize Profit

August 5, 2025

Felicia Gbuka, a Nigerian entrepreneur runs a business of processing rice and cassava in to ready to eat snacks and other ingredients. She processes the foodstuffs with additional ingredients that raise the demand for her products and packages them with attractive and good quality materials.

“We have chinchin here that is made from rice products, we have chinchin here that is made from cassava product, we have a cassava flour, we have a gari process from cassava, and we have powdered rice present on the table here. And we even produce biscuits and other snacks, a lot of peanuts from cassava and rice. So just cassava and rice, people sometimes buy them just raw without being processed, said Felicia.”

She produces her marketable items in her small manufacturing facility but is almost equivalent with products of large industries. She is able to process the local foodstuff after she attended training by the government and IFAD.

“The government of Nigeria in partnership of IFAD value chain development program, they train youth into production, into processing, into agribusinesses and different skills, into marketing skills. So that is where I got the knowledge. I was trained on how to do it. So I pick it up as a business.”

Involvement of small businesses like that of Felicia’s in the food processing industry could play significant role in addressing the global challenge of food security. They can contribute in creating jobs, maximizing revenue, mitigating food wastage in the process of production and storage …, among others.

According to studies the cause of food insecurity in some developing countries is associated with failure to preserve food produce in favorable seasons. Many agricultural products are naturally perishable or are short lived. This means even though farmers produce adequate amount or surplus, they would lose majority of their harvest if they have no means of preserving them.

While the processing of the raw food with additional ingredients and values is worthwhile, the issue of price could potentially affect the entrepreneurs’ ability to compete in the market. Therefore, producers have homework of showing the relative advantage of the processed food in terms of price and saving time.

“People who go into processing buy the raw products called paddy rice. So when you buy the paddy rice, they go into processing. So the paddy rice is cheaper because you undergo a process and you involve peanuts” Felicia noted.

As she sells a finished product, that is ready to eat she also has to encourage her customers to buy even though there’s a little more price addition on it. In this regard small holder entrepreneurs like Felicia need better technology that helps them to process the edible items by saving time and cost so that the margins they markup could be as minimal as possible to motivate buys and scale up potential customers.

“Because if they go for the raw product, they have to undergo the process. Time factor, the time they will spend to process. So they just come and take the finished product for consumption. So they buy.”

While preservation of food is important to encourage food security, another issue that should go along side is nutritional value. For instance, people can prepare their food at home in different ways adding some nutritious ingredients. So small entrepreneurs also need to considerations to make their finished and processed products, more healthier and nutritious.

“Actually, in the process of processing the finished products, we are trained to do this. You have things you mix in the processing, which are not harmful, that have been certified by the Nigerian organization that checks the quality and how healthy the products are. So they check everything”

The quality check and control by government organs can add customers trust on the producers of smallholders further elevating their potential to diversify their products.

“So we go on products that are registered, that are health-wise not harmful. So we mix it, we produce it, and there are preservatives. You mix it and it keeps it for a longer period without getting spoiled.”

The involvement of more women in the food processing industry can play a vital role in addressing food insecurity as well as poverty. From farming upto cooking, women involve in all steps or levels of agricultural production and food processing. Therefore, technology and financing interventions need to give due attention to actively engage women.

“The processing of snacks is more of a woman business. Every woman can do it. It’s not for the men. It’s only men who go into chef, that love doing processing. If not, it’s more of a woman business. Women do it. Women love doing it. Any woman can do it. It’s just for you to receive the trainings and the materials available, you do it.”

According to Felicia, women are working strongly in the food industry on a competitive level with men. Yet women have more advantages to succeed in the market in the sale of food items if they are given due support.

“Like the snacks, I think many people like buying from women. They like buying from women. Yes, we have advantage over men for snacks” she reiterated.

By prolonging the shelf life of the food items, the producers or farmers can benefit in different ways. They can keep their produces safely until the upcoming harvest season, or add value and sell them with better prices that can help them financially.

However, the knowledge gap on modern methods of food preservation and value addition can hamper the growing involvement of small holders life Felicia who could play significant role in food safety and security. Hence, she says small holders need due support in financing to boost their productivity.

“It’s to provide access to finance for women. Yes, because without finance, you cannot process. And most women want to do it, but they don’t have the finance. And yes, though some have access, no capital to start up, so they should provide finance for women” said Felicia.

BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM

THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 5 AUGUST 2025