Swiss multinational plant equipment manufacturer, Bühler is set to open cutting-edge grain processing facility in Nigeria poised to support local producers in the development of safe and affordable food.
The Grain Processing Innovation Center (GPIC) in Kano, Nigeria will be Bühler’s first Application and Training Center fully dedicated to unleashing the potential of local crops and ancient grains on an industrial scale, not only in Nigeria, but for the whole of Africa and beyond.
“We are very excited to be taking a bold step towards Nigeria’s food security with GPIC to empower local producers to create safe and affordable food using homegrown grains like sorghum, millet, maize, wheat, and beans,” said Bühler in a statement.
According to the leader in grain and food processing, based in a three-floor building spanning an area of 480m2, GPIC will become a hot spot when it comes to utilizing the many exceptional opportunities in transforming raw materials into new recipes through optimized processing.
The opening of the GPIC will take place at 15, Maimalari Road, Bompai, Kano, Nigeria on July 11, 2024.
During the event, participants will be guided through the new facility to gain an understanding of the new capabilities and some of the product possibilities that will enable customers to innovate and grow their businesses in a sustainable and responsible manner.
Food security
Bühler’s initiative has been motivated by the fact that food security is a critical issue in nearly all regions of the world and as the growing world population is increasing the demand for food, extreme weather conditions and political conflicts are disrupting established food value chains.
Consequently, almost 1 billion people suffer from malnutrition or even hunger; and in many countries, governments are stockpiling staple raw materials.
A key answer to these existential challenges is locally grown crops and traditional grains – not only to increase food security, but also to develop sustainable businesses for local farmers and food processors.
Local grains resilience
Local grains and crops are often more climate and pest resilient, can be cultivated in adverse climates and even arid regions, and have a higher nutritional value compared with more refined cereals.
Growing and processing these crops on a larger scale can increase a region’s self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on imported grains, and provide new sustainable market opportunities for farmers and producers.
Although the consumption of various local millets, cassava, pulses, and other crops are quite common in many households, in some cases, industrial processing of these raw materials is still in an early stage.
