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MOI UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL : BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT : BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

COURSE TITLE : ECONOMIC BOTANY

COURSE COD : BOT 417

TASK : ELIMU MILLERS REPORT

NAME : OGEGA DICKSON SENGERA

REG. NO. : SC/129/14

DATE : 18TH OCT, 2017

SIGN :…………….

TECHNICIAN : MR. ALI K. RONO

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to show my heartfelt gratitude to our technician, Mr. Ali Rono for

planning the visit to Elimu Millers and his determination in ensuring everything went

on as planned. Also I would to appreciate the staff at the Miller , more especially Mr.

Abel Okari, the facilitator and Mr. Ambai Cevicks for their cooperation and sincere

assistance they offered in explaining how maize flour gets to the market. Lastly I

would like to give thanks to my fellow students who availed themselves and made the

exercise successful.

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DEDICATION

I dedicate this work to my family which has always been supportive in my studies and

my father who has been my backbone in tough times.

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INTRODUCTION

Elimu Millers is a vision 2030 flagship project commissioned on 12-08-2012 by

Chancellor Ogat to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is one of

Moi University’s accomplishments among other projects like, School of Public

Health, Dentistry and Nursing where medical personnel are trained.

Figure 1. Elimu Millers Gate.

Located at Moi University Main Campus, Elimu Millers was established to mill

animal feeds. Figure 1 shows the entrance to the Mill which has given the local

farmers something to smile about since they have ready market for their farm

produce. The Mill has been able to develop through outsourced funding and now they

mill grade 7 sifted maize flour. It would cost them more to come up with quality fine

maize flour but the prospects of that are yet to be determined.

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OBJECTIVES

The field visit to Elimu Millers was to learn the maize and maize by-products

processing steps.

At the end of the visit the student should be able to ;

1. Explain the process of maize flour milling.

2. Explain the process of animal feeds milling

3. Write a detailed report on Moi University’s Elimu Millers.

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BOTANY OF MAIZE

Maize, scientifically known as Zea mays is a large grain plant domesticated in Mexico

by the indigenous population. It is a member of the grass family Poaceae with a leafy

stalk whose kernels have seeds inside. The seeds are enclosed within a fruit or shell

making it an angiosperm.

Figure 2. Figure 3.

Figure 2 and 3 shows corns of maize on a stalk and a maize plantation respectively.

Maize is grown all year round for many purposes including fodder for animals, food,

among others. Maize flour is consumed widely in Kenya making maize the staple

food. Maize also serves as raw material for various industrial products such as oil,

starch, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, food cereals among others.

Conditions favoring maize farming in Kenya include;

 Warm temperatures above 15℃ which is experienced in most parts of the

country.

 High annual rainfall of 1,200mm-2,500mm although maize flourishes under

different rainfall regions at can tolerate totals ranging between 635mm-

1,145mm or even adapt to semi-arid regions with rainfall totals below

380mm.

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 Rich well drained light loam soils. However, it can also tolerate a wide range

of soils found in most parts of the country.

 Undulating landscape

MAIZE MILLING PROCESS

Elimu Millers has an automatic maize milling machine that produces sifted grade

7 flour.

Figure 4. Automatic maize milling machine.

Stage 1: Polisher/Sifter

This a key step that is started by the hopper where maize is sucked up to the sifter

which separates the dirt from the maize- maize germ. Clean maize is then

scooped up by conveyor belt to the colevator to the first mill.

Cleaning ensures removal of materials that would otherwise lower the quality of

flour produced for example husks, dust and is done by the de-stoner which

separates dirt and stone as well.

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Stage 2: Damper

This is the second step that follows after the cleaning and it involves addition of

moisture to the maize to moisten the maize for some time. This enables peeling of

the bran to add mass to the the flour.

Stage 3: Crusher

Rollers that differ in size crush the maize differently, separates and the crushed

maize to the next step. Every machine has it’s own starter in the the three roller

mills that is, 1B, 2B, 3B. The first fan is switched on and it creates a pressure that

sucks the maize in and prevents blockage as well. The roller mills grind the maize

starting with the the first roller mill which after milling feeds the product into the

sifter and the process repeated by the other two roller mills. Maize that is not

milled and sifted is returned back to the second step.

The sifted maize is then released to be packaged into different packets and bales

in the packaging area.

Figure 5. Sifted maize flour Figure 6. Maize germ

The diagrams above show the end product and by product of milling which are

collected separately each according to it’s use.

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Stage 4: Packaging

The maize flour is packed into 2kg packets in the packaging area which maintains

high hygiene levels among the individuals doing the packaging. A weighing

balance is used to check for the weight to ensure standard weight is achieved and

avoid over or under weight during the process.

Figure 6. Packaging process.

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Animal Feeds Milling

Elimu millers also is involved in milling animal feeds on a rather small scale for

domesticated livestock

The process is not as complex as that of the maize flour but however it involves a

series of steps;

 A pulverizing machine reduces the raw materials to fine particles. The raw

materials include sunflower seeds, bones, maize stalks. The the crushed raw

material is then fed to a sifter which separates the dirt from it by shaking.

Figure 7. Pulverizing machine.

 After cleaning by vigorous shaking, the mixture of raw materials is then fed

into a mixer which homogenizes the mixer for a set period of time about 25 minutes.

After mixing, the feed is then transferred to storage tanks via conveyor belts awaiting

packaging.

Figure 8. Homogenizing mixer.

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 The ready animal feed is then poured into sisal bags depending on the desired

weight and sealed by a sewing machine. Currently, the mill is producing animal

feeds for the Moi University livestock.

Figure 9. Elimu Millers Animal feeds section

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DISCUSSION

Elimu Millers is a good example of projects that aim at achieving vision 2030

objectives as it stands out as a pillar to show that anything is achievable if we decide

to put hard work and determination to it.

As a company, Elimu millers has been able to provide a market for the local farmers

in turn profiting by maximizing their output. Farmers on the other hand benefit from

affordable farm inputs from the Millers and this ensures a continued profitable

relationship between the two players.

To gain a larger share of the local market, the Miller has gone out of it’s way to and

taken chances by retailing their flour at a slightly lower price than the national price.

This is for the two and one kilogram packets sold in bundles. However, they have to

invest in best and high quality milling machines to have fine flour that is produced in

the grinding and separating process.

Despite producing sifted grade 7 flour, they still stress that their processed flour has

more to offer compared to their national competitors in terms of nourishment with

nutrients. They say,” ours is not just a white flour that comes out as Ugali” which they

use in their market strategy to attract more customers.

They have also given back to society by creating employment to the locals through

workshops and also provide a learning platform to the students at Moi University.

Safety precautions and Measures

 A public health officer inspects the maize delivered by farmers for any toxins

such as aflatoxin before milling commences. This is to ensure safety of the

consumers.

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 The moving parts are always greased to ensure they keep moving without

any stress.

 In case of a complication, all machines are switched off at once to attednd to

the problem.

 The milling machines are undergo maintenance semi-annually and if

necessary, they are serviced after every three months.

 Protective gear for the workers at the mill is issued to ensure they don’t

injure themselves while at work or are not affected by the dust arising from the

milling.

 The workers are also insured in case of an accident occurring while at the

mill.

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CONCLUSION

Elimu Millers plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of farmers locals around Moi

University. To some, it’s a source of livelihood, as it creates employment. Others

benefit from selling their farm produce to the mills. To the students at Moi University,

affordable maize flour is a luxury they can afford as maize is the staple food in

Kenya.

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REFERENCES

1. www.wikipedia.com

2. Roney, John(winter 2009). The Beginnings of Maize agriculture”.

3. thenewscart.blogpost.com

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