Chapters 8.22

8.22-Maize (corn) value addition

Tadiwanashe Christabel Mateta, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Mateta,CT. (2022) Maize (corn) value addition, In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Introduction

Corn (Zea mays / maize) is a cereal grain originating from Mexico which is generally grown by farmers for food (Chaudhary, 2014). Corn is an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamin A and niacin (Nutriondata, 2018). Unfortunately, the value of a corn cob in its raw state is quite low, which negatively affects the incomes of smallholders. The importance of value addition is based on its ability to relatively increase smallholder incomes which would open up endless investment opportunities (Investopedia,2017). Smallholder farmers can find some low-cost methods to increase the value of the corn which they harvest. Corn has great potential for value added products which will be discussed below.

Maize value addition

Maize value addition is the process of converting maize into processed products to increase its value. There are many popular value addition methods amongst smallholder farmers. These range from drying, wet milling, dry milling and fermenting corn to produce some ready for the market products. The aforementioned value addition methods shall be discussed below in chronological order:

Drying

While corn is less valuable in its raw state, the production of dry corn products is more profitable in the market. A common method of drying is drying the crop in sheaths on dry ground. The drying process can range from one week to three weeks depending on harvesting time. Alternatively, farmers can use vane-axial fans to speed up the drying process (University of Arkansas).

One example of value addition through drying is popcorn, a popular snack food. Subsistence farmers can grow the varieties of corn that can be used for making popcorn – in particular everta (Chaudhary et al., 2014). Farmers can simply remove corn kernels from the corn cob and dry them. The corn kernels can be packaged and sold to consumers. This is easily achievable at a small scale. Additionally, farmers can cook popcorn on a stove and sell it locally at a higher cost due to the value added by cooking and packaging the product.

Dry milling

Milling is a viable value addition method for subsistence farmers because it allows for creation of a variety of products. Dry milling is a popular method to produce various corn products such as grits, corn flour and corn meal. Dry milling focuses on the size reduction of corn seed followed by degermination to promote shelf life (Gwirtz, Casal, 2014). This is a low-cost value addition method requiring minimal effort. Local farmers in Rwanda found that dry milling enabled them to sell three main maize products (maize rice, maize flour and maize feed) to ordinary markets (Greenslade,2013). This section shall discuss the value-added products from dry milling of maize:

Farmers who wish to start milling cereal grains such as maize can invest in milling machines.. There are various affordable machines available on Alibaba express, starting from roughly $520 USD. In the long term, this investment would lead to greater profit.

Here is one link to a commercial milling machine: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Commercial-Food-Cereal-Grain-Milling-Machine_60782764633.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.59.4fd24121AOIV0K

Here is a link to an economical corn mill machine: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/KMKFS289-Economical-modern-corn-mill-machine_60774136705.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.67.1b215cacHFyFkz

Animal feed

The use of yellow corn for animal feed is a lucrative source of income for farmers because it is beneficial for the growth of animals, and therefore it is in high demand in markets. Research shows that animal feed constitutes 47% of maize consumption (Grant, Woldaardt, Louw, 2012). Farmers in Burkina Faso have begun selling wholesale maize feed at a market level as well as to poultry and cattle growers with the support of the Food and Agricultural Organization (Kaminski, Elbehri, Zoma 2014). Farmers can formulate dry feeds which predominantly contain maize and, if they desire to, mix the corn with other cereal grains such as soybeans and then sell the feed for profit.

Here is one link explaining how to make corn feed: http://www.fao.org/docrep/s4314e/s4314e06.htm

Corn Meal

Maize meal, consisting of dry ground maize can be used to produce foods as well as alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (Gwirtz, Casal, 2014). These products can be sold to increase smallholder incomes. At the local or industrial level, producers can process maize using more complex tools such as grinding machines or low-cost methods such as stone and roller mills (Gwirtz, Casal, 2014). Subsistence farmers are able to execute single stage milling using stone mills, hammer mills or plate mills if they can afford these tools (FAO-AGS, 2007). Alternatively, farmers can process maize meal through paying a small fee to a milling company and selling the product to consumers afterwards. Furthermore, dried corn can be sold to consumers or private enterprises such as corn processing mills if they do not wish to process it themselves.

Here is a link showing how to make cornmeal using a grinder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evu6Ohj8nOE

Tortilla – Tortilla Chips

Tortillas are a popular food from Mexico which can be prepared using traditional Aztec methods which are easily accessible to smallholder farmers. Tortillas are produced through the baking of masa, a corn flour dough followed by cooling, frying and the application of salt and flavoring agents (FAO, 2007). Tortillas can be used to make tacos and wraps, and therefore such a product would be in high demand in the food industry for restaurants and homeowners alike. In terms of producing this product, only 150 grams of cornmeal can produce 24 tortillas (BBC, 2018).The benefit of making tortillas is that farmers can feed themselves using this product, sell the product as it is or continue to add value through preparing fresh tacos and selling them to locals.

Here is a link showing how to make tacos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGklx6OD_MM

Here is a link to help get you started on making a tortilla :https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes/corn_tortilla_59257

Fermentation

Fermentation of maize meal is another low-cost value addition method. Once the corn has been processed into cornmeal, subsistence farmers can mix cornmeal with water and ferment the mixture for a specified number of days in order to create multiple beverages. One popular fermented corn product is Mahewu, a traditional Southern African non- alcoholic drink. Mahewu preparation is quite simple. The process includes the act of heating a mixture of warm water and maize meal leaving it out to cool, adding wheat flour and fermenting it for 36 hours (Haard, FAO, 1999).

Here is a link that shows how to produce maheu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO6gwZdLQRg

Ethanol

Ethanol is a source of renewable energy which has been gaining prominence over the years. It can be used as a fuel and is commonly found in motor gasoline. Common mixtures are E10 and E15 motor gasoline which contain 10 and 15 percent of ethanol respectively (EIA). Recently ethanol has been used as an alternative fuel which means that it has been used as the most dominant fuel in a blend. Ethanol is the renewable fuel of choice due to its provision of cheaper alternatives to diesel and petrol as well as its rising popularity at retail gas stations. The availability of E15 fuel has doubled since 2016 (Renewable Fuels Association, 2018). Ethanol can be produced through both dry and wet milling processes although 90 % of ethanol is produced through dry milling. This entails fermentation of a mixture consisting of “mash” (a mixture of water and cornmeal), enzymes and yeast, which is then distilled and blended (Renewable fuel Association, 2018).

Ethanol production is more scientific and thus requires collaboration with professionals who can produce the product efficiently, so this value-added product may be out of reach for farmers lacking scientific knowledge and expertise.

Here is a link to get started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-XCRvEQCbM

Wet milling

Wet milling is a corn processing method in which shelled dent corn is steeped in hot water for 30 to 48 hours in order to soften the corn and allow for the extraction of starch (International Starch Institute, 2018). The soft kernels go through attrition mills in order to separate the corn germ and the endosperm. Corn starch can be extracted from the endosperm of seeds through the wet milling of dent corn, which is scientifically known as Zea mays var indentata. The wet milling process can lead to the production of various corn by products such as corn oil. The process requires various steps which are: cleaning, drying, steeping, degerming, amd germ separation. Corn oil can be used as cooking oil and in margarine. Various companies sell small corn oil extraction plants for as little as $1000 USD for farmers who are interested in corn oil extraction on an industrial scale (Small Size Oil Extraction Plant, 2018) or setting it up as a business.

Here is a link for a mini oil cold press machine retailing for $200 USD: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Cold-mini-oil-press-machine-oil_60559078478.html?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.89.7a4f606c9A1Ww1

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is a natural syrup which is derived from corn starch through a process called hydrolysis (Chaudhary et al.,2014). This process entails using refined corn starch to create corn starch through catalyzed processes (acid, acid-enzyme or enzyme-enzyme processes). These processes help break down the starch molecules (New World Encyclopedia, 2018). The advantages of producing corn syrup is its popularity in the market for household uses. Corn syrup can be used in many foods and beverages as an alternative to sugar.

Maya Weinstein has developed and is currently working on a Do It Yourself (DIY) high fructose corn syrup kit for individuals who would like to produce corn syrup in their own homes. The kit contents are available online and include yellow dent corn, several types of glucose, sulfuric acid and xylose. The corn syrup site features several do-it- yourself tutorials which show practical instructions to creating the syrup at a low cost. Here is a link to Maya Weinstein’s DIY corn syrup kit website: http://diyhfcs.mayaweinstein.com/

Conclusion

To conclude, there are various options for value addition ideas for maize which are available and accessible for smallholder farmers. Drying of maize is the quickest low cost value addition method followed by wet and dry milling which requires the investment of purchasing a milling machine. Lastly, fermentation of maize to create biofuel and food products is the final value addition method on interest.

References

1. International Starch Institute , http://www.starch.dk/isi/starch/tm18www-corn.htm

2. Use of Ethanol, eia, US Department of Energy, https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=biofuel_ethanol_use

3. Natural Resources Canada -Ethanol https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/energy/alternative-fuels/fuel-facts/ethanol/3493

4. Renewable fuel Association, How ethanol is made, https://ethanolrfa.org/how-ethanol-is-made/ , renewable fuel association

5. Renewable fuels association, ethanol https://ethanolrfa.org/media/factsheets/

6. New World Encyclopedia, corn syrup, http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Corn_syrup , Corn syrup

7. Weinstein M, DIY high fructose corn syrup , http://diyhfcs.mayaweinstein.com/

8. Gwirtz JA, and Garcia-Casal MN (2013) Processing Maize flour and corn meal food products, Technical considerations for maize flour and corn meal fortification in Public Health. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1312(1), 66-75. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4260129/pdf/nyas1312-0066.pdf

9. FAO, 2007, Cereals tool processing kit- Tortilla- Tortilla chips ,http://www.fao.org/3/a-au110e.pdf

10. FAO, Greenslade E, 2014, Making the most out of maize in Rwanda , http://www.fao.org/africa/news/detail-news/en/c/237040/

11. Kaminski, J., Elbehri A, and J-P. Zoma (2013), An analysis of Maize value chain and competitiveness in Burkina Faso: Implications for smallholder-inclusive policies and initiatives, In: Rebuilding West Africa’s Food Potential, A. Elbehri (ed.), FAO/IFAD. http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3222e/i3222e14.pdf

12. Grant W, Wolfaardt A and Louw A (2014) Maize Value Chain in the SADC Region , Technical report, AECOM International Development, Southern Africa Trade Hub https://www.saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/001-Maize-Value-Chain-in-the-SADC-Region.pdf

13. Chaudhary, D. P., Kumar, S. and Singh, S. (2014). Maize: Nutrition Dynamics and Novel Uses. Springer India. Retrieved from https://books.scholarsportal.info/en/read?id=/ebooks/ebooks3/springer/2014-04-01/1/9788132216230#page=1

14. FAO-AGS. (2007). Cereals Processing Toolkit , Cornmeal - Masa. Retrieved from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/in-action/inpho/library/detail/en/c/2397/

15. Henan Kingman M & E Complete Plant Co, Ltd. (n.d.). Small Size Corn Oil Extraction Plant . Retrieved from HEnan Kingman M & E Complete Plant Co, Ltd: http://www.oilmillmachinery.net/small-size-corn-oil-extraction-plant.html

16. Investopedia, 2017, Value added , https://www.investopedia.com/terms/v/valueadded.asp

17. N.F Haard, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1999). Fermented cereals: A Global Perspective. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved from https://books.google.ca/books?printsec=frontcover&vid=ISBN9251042969&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

18. SELF Nutrition Data, 2018, https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/cereal-grains-and-pasta/5687/2

19. Shultz, S. (2008). Corn. Journal of Agricultural & Food Information, 101-114.

20. Small Size Oil Extraction Plant. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.oilmillmachinery.net/small-size-corn-oil-extraction-plant.html

21. University of Arkansas, Corn production Handbook https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/mp437/mp437.pdf