Fried sunflower seeds are a very popular product in our country. And everyone is happy to buy it: not only young people, but also older people. Demand for this snack product is stable, so in this niche there is an opportunity to build a profitable and promising business. We will talk today about how to organize the production of seeds and their implementation.
Product group characteristics
If we compare the fried seeds with other products from the snack category (crackers, chips, etc.), then they compare favorably with the fact that the target audience of their consumers is the widest. The popularity of sunflower seeds can be explained by the following factors:
- lack of age restrictions, they are allowed to be used by children, adults and elderly people;
- the lack of restrictions on the place of use, you can enjoy the seeds both at home, and on the street, and indoors (for example, some people happily husk them in the office);
- the absence of negative effects on the human body with moderate use of this product.
In addition, seeds contain a lot of such substances useful for humans as vitamins of groups A, B, D and E, zinc, magnesium, as well as unsaturated fatty acids. Eating this product helps to lower blood cholesterol, accelerates the regeneration of the skin, improves the condition of the hair, and also has a calming effect on the human nervous system, which makes, for example, easier to cope with smoking cessation. Therefore, organizing the production of roasted seeds, you can be sure that your products will not only not harm anyone's health, but will also be useful.
Business Highlights
The production of fried seeds, like any other enterprise, has a number of its own characteristics. These include the following:
- The availability of raw materials, as well as its relatively low cost.
- The opportunity to buy an inexpensive machine for the production of seeds.
- The speed of return on initial investment.
In addition, the prospect of further business development can be called very tempting. So, the equipment used is easily reconfigurable for roasting coffee beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. If in the future you decide to purchase additional units, then you can start making butter, margarine, drying oil, fodder cake and a lot of other products.
All of the above makes this company a very successful and promising idea. First you need to draw up a business production plan.
Seeds as a business: consumers and marketing of finished products
As a rule, manufacturers of fried sunflower seeds do not engage in their retail sale, preferring wholesale deliveries. For this, it is necessary to establish contractual relations both with large retail chains, and with a number of small shops, stalls and kiosks, as well as with distributors and wholesale buyers, if possible.
Do not underestimate the activity of competitors in this segment, which makes it necessary to carefully plan all activities aimed at expanding the distribution channels of your products.
How to make fried sunflower seeds?
The technology for the production of seeds includes the following steps: calibration, washing, salting, frying, cooling, polishing, packing and packaging.We offer to consider each of the points in more detail.
Calibration
At this stage, the separation of large grains from small ones, as well as their cleaning from debris. To do this, use calibration units or vibrating screens, which have the function of dividing the product into several fractions.
Washing
At this stage, the product is cleaned. Aggregates for washing have the design of a tunnel, passage type and are divided into the following types:
- with top watering;
- with lower and upper irrigation, which provides a more thorough washing of the product;
- with one air heater at the exit;
- with two heaters, which allows you to better dry the seeds, thereby reducing the time of frying.
Product salting
This stage is used in the manufacture of products with a salty taste. To do this, use a machine for making additives (pelleting drum). As a rule, units of this type are used in large industries.
Frying
This is the most important stage in the production of seeds. The quality of the finished product will directly depend on the quality of the equipment used for frying. Most often, electric drum furnaces are used for this purpose, equipped with a stainless steel drum, gauges, thermostat, windows for removing moisture and a blade for sampling. Sometimes this equipment also includes chillers.
In addition to electric, gas-fired drum kilns are also very common. They retain all the technical characteristics of the former, but they can significantly save on electricity.
Cooling
Since after frying the seeds for a very long time retain a high temperature inside their shell, in order to exclude the possibility of overcooking, they are cooled using special units. This equipment can be of two types: conveyor or open round construction, equipped with agitators and directional air flow.
Polishing
At this stage, there is a process of fine cleaning products from garbage and carbon deposits. For this purpose, machines for cleaning and polishing are used. By the way, if the production line includes such equipment, then there is no need for the initial washing of raw materials.
Packing and packing
As you know, the appearance of the product is very important in the process of marketing a particular product. Fried seeds are no exception. Therefore, it is necessary not only to develop a suitable packaging design, but also to purchase quality equipment.
Equipment for the production of seeds
The main investment for the manufacture of such products will be associated with the purchase of the necessary equipment. As a rule, it includes the following names:
- units for washing and drying (at the initial stage, in order to minimize costs, you can perform this procedure manually);
- units for calibration of seeds;
- roasting pan;
- cooler;
- filling and packaging machine.
Of course, you can purchase the equipment separately, but the best option would be to purchase a finished production line.
If the size of your business investment is limited, then you can purchase a mini-line for the production of fried seeds. It is based on an electric furnace capable of producing 60-100 kilograms of finished products per hour. It is envisaged that washing and drying will be carried out manually. To service such a production line will require two people. Its cost will be about 450-500 thousand rubles. This equipment is designed for a workshop area of 30-35 square meters.
If you decide to purchase a fully automated production line, then at least 1.2 million rubles will be required to purchase it. In this case, you will need a workshop with an area of at least 50 square meters.
Room
If you decide to start the production of fried seeds, then you will need to rent a room suitable for these purposes. First of all, it should have a sufficient area to accommodate all the equipment. It should also comply with all requirements of the sanitary and epidemiological station and the fire service and have access to basic communications. It is best to select a room on the outskirts of the city in the production area, which will save on its rent.
Business for the production of fried seeds: the financial side of the issue
To begin, we offer to evaluate the approximate initial investment. So, if you decide to organize the production of fried seeds with the purchase of a mini-line for their manufacture, then to start such a business you will have to invest about 1 million rubles (including the purchase of raw materials, rental premises and hiring workers).
As for income, the monthly revenue will be about 800 thousand rubles. At the same time, net profit will be at the level of 110 thousand rubles. Thus, the initial investment will be able to pay off after 10-12 months of active work.
So, we can conclude that fried seeds as a business is a very profitable, promising, highly profitable and quickly paid back business.
