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The short answer
Garri processing turns fresh cassava roots into a dry, roasted meal through peeling, grating, fermenting, pressing, sieving and frying. The key numbers are what you pay for a tonne of roots, how many kilograms of garri each tonne yields and what buyers pay per kilo; NBS figures put the national average retail price of white garri at ₦808.96 a kilogram in April 2026, with Abia highest and Plateau lowest.
How garri is made
- Peel fresh cassava roots within a day or two of harvest; roots deteriorate quickly once dug.
- Wash and grate into a mash, usually with a motorised grater.
- Ferment the mash in sacks for one to several days, depending on the sourness buyers prefer.
- Press out the liquid with a screw or hydraulic press.
- Sieve the pressed cake into fine granules.
- Fry (roast) in shallow pans over fire or in a mechanised fryer until dry and crisp; yellow garri has palm oil added.
- Cool, sieve again and bag.
Equipment costs
Equipment prices vary by maker, motor and capacity. The table is an example for a small processing point; get written quotes.
| Equipment | Example cost |
|---|---|
| Motorised cassava grater | ₦450,000 |
| Screw or hydraulic press | ₦350,000 |
| Frying pans, stoves or a small mechanised fryer | ₦400,000 |
| Sieves, basins, knives, sacks | ₦60,000 |
| Shed and drainage (basic) | ₦500,000 |
| Total (example) | ₦1,760,000 |
Drainage is not optional. The liquid pressed from cassava is acidic and smells strongly as it ferments; neighbours and local authorities notice. Plan where it goes before you build.
Sourcing cassava
- Buy from farms near the processing point; transport costs rise fast with weight and roots spoil within days.
- Agree price per tonne, per truck or per heap, and check how roots are weighed.
- Older, well-matured roots usually give more garri per tonne than young or watery ones; your test batches will show which suppliers' roots perform.
- Consider contracting farmers ahead of the season to secure supply.
Weigh a sample load when you start with a new supplier and compare it with what you were told. Trust is built over several deliveries, and a supplier who delivers on time with mature roots is worth a slightly higher price per tonne. Process roots the day they arrive wherever possible; roots held for several days lose quality and yield.
Yield and pricing: a worked example
Yield is the number that decides profit. We did not find a single official conversion rate that fits all varieties and methods, so measure it yourself on test batches. The example below uses assumed figures and shows how much yield matters.
| Line | Low-yield batch | Better-yield batch |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh roots (1 tonne) | ₦80,000 | ₦80,000 |
| Peeling, frying and other labour | ₦30,000 | ₦30,000 |
| Firewood or gas | ₦15,000 | ₦15,000 |
| Grater fuel | ₦5,000 | ₦5,000 |
| Bags | ₦3,000 | ₦3,000 |
| Total cost | ₦133,000 | ₦133,000 |
| Garri produced (assumed) | 200kg | 250kg |
| Sales at ₦650/kg to wholesalers | ₦130,000 | ₦162,500 |
| Profit or loss | −₦3,000 | ₦29,500 |
The same tonne of roots, the same costs, and a 50kg difference in yield turns a loss into a profit. Selling some of the garri yourself at a retail price, nearer the NBS national average of ₦808.96 a kilo in April 2026, raises income further but takes time and selling effort.
Quality that buyers pay for
Garri buyers judge by eye, taste and touch. Clean, evenly sized granules without stones, peel or sand sell faster and at better prices. Sourness depends on fermentation time, and preferences differ by area and customer, so ask your buyers what they want and keep your process consistent. Garri must be properly dry before bagging, or it will cake and turn mouldy in storage.
- Peel thoroughly; brown peel specks lower the price.
- Sieve before and after frying to keep granule size even.
- Fry evenly and cool fully before bagging.
- Store bags on pallets in a dry room, away from walls.
- Keep each batch separate and labelled with the date, so a complaint can be traced.
Labour is a large and steady cost. Peeling and frying are hard, hot work, and many small processors rely on paid casual workers. Agree pay per basin or per bag in advance and pay on time; a reliable crew is worth more than a small saving on wages.
What prices look like
The NBS April 2026 food price release, reported by ThisDay on 2 June 2026, put white garri at ₦808.96 a kilogram nationally, up slightly from ₦801.54 in March but well below ₦1,345.10 in April 2025. By state, Abia was highest at ₦1,075.47 and Plateau lowest at ₦517.94; by zone, the South-East averaged ₦944.58 and North-Central ₦673.88. Those gaps are a trading opportunity for processors who can move garri from cheaper to dearer areas, but transport eats into it. Check the latest NBS release before you set prices. Garri moved against the wider trend: the NBS put food inflation at 19.59% year on year in September 2026, reported by Voice of Nigeria, even as garri sat well below its April 2025 level. A processor cannot assume prices only rise.
Who buys
- Foodstuff traders and market wholesalers, in bags.
- Neighbourhood shops and households, in smaller measures.
- Schools, canteens and caterers that buy regularly.
- Packaged garri buyers in supermarkets, if you register a branded product with NAFDAC.
Foodstuff sellers are your natural buyers; our guide to what a foodstuff business stocks first shows their side. For the farm itself, see the planned guide to cassava farming cost per hectare. Keep a record of every truck of roots and every bag sold; our guide to bookkeeping for small businesses shows a simple system.
Where Pryme fits
Wholesale buyers can pay a Pryme Business Account by transfer, and the Finance agent can keep track of what each trader owes. Money put aside for the next truck of roots can sit in a Flexible Savings Box until it is needed.
Questions people ask
How many bags of garri can one tonne of cassava produce?
It depends on the variety, root age and method. Measure yield on your own test batches; our example showed how 200kg against 250kg per tonne changes profit.
How much does a garri processing machine cost in Nigeria?
A grater, press and frying set for a small point can run to over ₦1 million in our example. Get written quotes from several fabricators.
Is garri processing profitable?
It can be, if yield is good and roots are bought well. In our example the same costs gave a ₦3,000 loss at 200kg and ₦29,500 profit at 250kg.
What is the price of garri per kg in Nigeria?
The NBS national average for white garri was ₦808.96 a kilogram in April 2026. Prices differ widely by state; check the latest NBS release.
Sources
- NBS: Food prices increase in April 2026 (ThisDay, 2 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Nigeria's headline inflation drops to 14.63 per cent (Voice of Nigeria, 16 Oct 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.