| Parameter |
Large scale |
Medium scale |
Small Scale |
Milling capacity
(wheat or maize) |
>
48 MT per day or
> 2 MT/hr |
24 to
72 MT/day or
1 to 3 MT/hr |
<
24 MT per day or
< 1 MT/hr |
| Yearly
operation |
>
200 days/year |
100 to
300 days/year |
100 to
300 days/year |
| Daily
operation |
24
hours/day |
8 to
24 hours/day |
4 to
12 hrs/day |
| Flour
or meal production |
>
40 tons per day |
5 to
50 MT/day |
< 5
tons per day |
| Process |
Continuous |
Usually continuous |
Batch
or continuous |
| Flow |
Usually long flow, gradual reduction |
Often
short flow reduction |
Short,
agressive reduction |
| Equipment - grinding |
Multiple roller mills |
More
than one roller or non-roller (pin, hammer) mills |
Single
roller mill or pin, stone or hammer mill |
| Equipment - other |
Free
swinging sifters, purifiers |
Screen
sifters |
May
have screen sifter |
| Grain
cleaning |
Multiple, continuous equipment |
Simple
screening |
Hand
cleaning if any |
| Investment in equipment |
High,
> one million $ |
Medium |
Low,
< ten thousand $ |
| Mill
structure |
Concrete, 4 or more stories adjoining silos |
Varies, Can be modular unit in sheds |
Sheds
or none |
| Mill
location |
Usually near seaport or rail line in industrial area. |
Usually in populated areas or near areas of heavy cereal
production |
Anywhere but typically in market area or near to where people shop
and live. |
| Ownership |
Company or government |
Generally private |
Generally one individual |
| Number
of Employees |
Varies
greatly |
3 to
10 |
One or
two |
| Miller
training |
Some
outside |
On the
job |
On the
job |
| QA/QC
Manager |
Yes |
Usually not separate position |
No |
| QC
laboratory |
Generally yes |
Generally no |
No |
| Wheat
flour extraction rate |
60 to
100% |
78 to
95% |
85 to
100% |
| Flour
treatment |
May
add enzyme, ascorbic acid, bleach, bromate |
None |
None |
| Number
of mill products |
Six or
more |
A
couple |
One |
| Shelf
life of flour, meal |
6-9
months |
1 to 6
months |
1 - 3
month |
| Market
for products |
National and export |
Regional |
Local |
| Fortification premix used |
Concentrated (50 - 200 g/MT) |
Varies
- may make diluted preblend with flour |
Diluted preblend |