Business idea: processing of walnuts and pine nuts. Why didn't the nut business take off? Walnut processing lines

Different types of equipment are used for processing walnuts - from manual devices for cleaning the peel to units specializing in the deep processing of raw materials, including equipment for the production of oil and extracts from leaves.

Growing walnuts for sale

For example: 1 hectare will accommodate 200 trees. Costs for soil treatment and site preparation, purchase and transportation of planting material and fertilizers average $2500-3000. This figure will increase if a hired worker takes care of walnut trees (watering, crown formation, hilling, weeding, fertilizing).

With an average yield of 18 kg per tree, 1 hectare will produce at least 3.2 tons of fruit.

The purchase price for 1 kg of unshelled nuts is $1-$2, which gives an income of $3200-$6400. Thus, the investment will pay off in a couple of years, and in the future will provide a net profit.

The maximum income comes from the sale of shelled kernels, especially halves (butterflies). If a kilogram of round timber costs on average $0.9-$1.4, then a kilogram of peeled kernels costs $6.1-$6.8.

Risks

A walnut growing business does not guarantee quick profits. Contrary to numerous articles on the Internet, it will not be possible to open your own processing plant in 5-6 years. This business plan is for the long term.

Its risks include weather conditions, pests and plant diseases. Changes temperature regime observed in recent years, disrupt the natural timing of fruit ripening and reduce yields.

Reduces its pests (nut moth, nut moth) and diseases (white spot, bacteriosis). The fruits lose their presentation and taste; in the worst case, the plant dies, which requires the manufacturer to spend additional money on processing seedlings or purchasing new ones.

It is more profitable to organize the purchase of round timber from the population. This will save not only money, but also time.

In this case, the costs will be minimal, and you can make money by selling shelled halves of kernels.

Main types of processing equipment

In small and medium-sized businesses, units are used for both primary (chopping) and deep processing of raw materials, making it possible to obtain an extract from green fruit, nut oil or tea from leaves.

Peelers

The drum-shaped device removes the pericarp, speeds up the process of processing round timber and does not damage the shell.

At the same time, it washes away the iodine present in the green peel, preserving the light color of the kernel, and preventively washes the fruit from dirt and dust.

Nut calibrator

Divides round timber into fractions by diameter before processing on nut crackers, which require calibration of raw materials, increasing the percentage of butterfly yield. It can be linear (with a flexible system of settings) and rotary (the holes are fixed and cannot be adjusted).

Nut crackers

Designed for accurate splitting of round timber, which ultimately determines the cost of the product.

Nut crackers used in processing are divided into:

• Manual – characterized by a low level of profitability and productivity (up to 5 kg/h). Suitable for home use only.
• Mechanical - calibrated round timber enters a hopper and falls under a press, which is operated by a hand lever. The rate of kernel extraction is up to 30 kg/h. Used in everyday life and small business.
• Electric – processes 50–200 kg/h. Suitable for small and medium businesses.
• Industrial – kernel extraction speed – up to 1t/h. They clean round timber from the shell without preliminary calibration, which saves time and money.

Vibrating sieve

The chopped round timber goes to a sieve, where it is separated into fractions. The uncracked nut is returned for chopping. Butterflies, quarters and eights are fed into the aspiration system to blow out shells, dust and foreign debris. At the end, both the shell and the kernels (depending on the fraction) go into separate containers.

Industrial lines

Processing line walnuts is a comprehensive solution, a “turnkey workshop” for a beginning entrepreneur. In the basic version, it includes a calibrator, an industrial nut cracker, a finishing machine, tools for kernel extraction, a vibrating sieve and a business plan.

Such simple system allows you to process up to 1.6 tons of raw materials per day. Depending on the client’s wishes, the line can be supplemented with a vibrating sieve, an aspiration system, and a belt conveyor.

Leading manufacturers of processing equipment

The leading equipment manufacturer in Europe is AMB ROUSSET (France). Since 1970, it has been producing powerful full-cycle lines.

In the USA, Jessee Equipment Manufacturing is the leader. Over its 60-year history, the company has earned a reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality and reliable equipment. The company is actively implementing various innovative technologies, such as calibration of raw materials using a laser.

Tekhnika-Rostov assembles modular equipment systems that are easy to install and transport and meet the requirements of each client. The big advantage of this manufacturer's products is their affordable price and after-sales service.

Ecology of business. We can talk endlessly about beneficial properties nut And a useful product is used in wide demand, has a decent price, with such a profitable product it is not difficult to build a profitable nut business.

Nut business

Initial investment: 350 rub.
Monthly profit: 500 tr.
Payback period: 1 season

There are about 30-40 populations of nuts on the globe. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios, peanuts (groundnuts), coconut and pine nuts are the most common types that are best known to us.

The existence of nuts has been known since the Stone Age. They contain microelements, vitamins, easily digestible proteins, carbohydrates and amino acids necessary for human health. We can talk endlessly about the beneficial properties of nuts. A useful product is in wide demand, has a decent price, and with such a profitable product it is not difficult to build a profitable nut business.

The plan for this business is quite simple -buy in bulk various types, peel, fry, package in beautiful packaging and sell the finished product.

Income can be 30% or more.

First you need market research . Nuts are widely used in cooking, so it is advisable to arrange delivery to confectionery shops, cafes, restaurants and other catering establishments.

You can also supply goods to markets, you can discuss the supply of packaged nuts to shops and supermarkets in the city, or you can organize your own outlet or your own online store. If you plan to develop your business on a larger scale, then it is possible export walnuts to Europe, where the demand for it is about 100 thousand tons per year.

Making money from walnuts

Let's consider the costs and payback of the walnut business. There may be three options: selling collected free-growing wild nuts, selling nuts purchased at a low price from the population, or selling your own grown nuts. As you know, walnuts are not frost-resistant, therefore they grow mainly in the southern regions of Russia, therefore, it is recommended to purchase or grow walnuts there. As further development business, you can consider purchasing in Central Asia or Ukraine.

Often walnut trees grow on their own along roads or in a nearby forest. You can harvest from them yourself or with the help of local residents by advertising in the local newspaper and organizing a collection point. The average wholesale price of unshelled walnuts when purchasing is 50 rubles per kg.

The price depends on the abundance of nuts in the region and can be much lower. Next you need to free them from the shell. This can be done either on your own or by involving neighborhood boys who want to earn extra money in this activity. To get 5 kg of peeled nuts, you need to process about 10 kg of unshelled nuts. The price of nuts in supermarkets in winter ranges from 150 to 350 rubles. per kg, i.e. on average - 250 rubles.

Payback of walnuts

Let's make some simple approximate calculations:

Let's say you purchased 100 kg of nuts for 50 rubles. They paid 15 rubles for cleaning the shell. per kg. We spent 500 rubles on packaging. In total, all costs amounted to about 5000 + 1500 + 500 = 7000 rubles. The yield of the purified kernel was 50 kg, which was sold for 350 rubles. Thus, from 100 kg the income is 11,500 rubles.

If you work yourself, the profit will be greater. Walnut kernels can be sold raw or roasted. Here you should take into account additional investments in purchasing a frying oven, but the price for fried kernels will increase significantly. Additional income can also be generated by the sale of shells and membranes to pharmaceutical companies and beauty salons.

If you want to work for the long term, you have financial start-up capital, then consider possibility of planting a walnut orchard. Investments in planting a garden were made per 1 hectare. Plowing the land - 6,000 rubles, preparing planting holes - 3,000 rubles, purchasing 100 pcs. seedlings - 30,000 rubles, transport costs for the delivery of seedlings and their planting - 2,500 rubles.

Watering and caring for seedlings per year costs about 15,000-20,000 rubles. It is necessary to take into account the costs of renting land and protecting the site. Starting from the age of 5, the costs of protecting seedlings can be reduced due to its irrationality. The need for protection will be only 2-3 months a year during the fruiting period.

Trees begin to bear fruit approximately in the 3rd year, but in full force - in the 5th-6th year. From 100 seedlings you can expect 2-4 tons of nut harvest, depending on the variety of seedlings and natural conditions. Every year the yield will increase by about 20%. The amount of harvest will be significantly influenced by climatic conditions - during frosts, some of the flower stalks die, which affects the fruit set. Profit from walnuts is guaranteed for decades.

Pine nut

Pine nuts are not only tasty, but also very healthy. Cedar oil, oleoresin, is considered a panacea for many diseases in folk medicine. Organizing your own production for processing pine nuts into kernels can be interesting and profitable business, bringing the owner a stable income.

Payback of pine nuts

If the southern region of Russia is optimally suited for the walnut business, then the north is optimally suited for pine nuts. These “tough nuts” do not have to be grown; mother taiga is rich in them, and they are classified as wild plants. Since September, local residents go out to the cedar harvest and, before the first deep snow, collect pine cones, shell the nuts from them and sell them in bulk to entrepreneurial buyers. If you decide to collect cedar cones yourself, you will need to purchase a forest ticket, which allows you to collect up to 50 kg free of charge, and above - 3 rubles. per kg.

Counting on making money from pine nuts, you can go two ways: buy pine cones, process them and deliver clean nuts to wholesalers, or you can go further - fry pine nuts, pack them and sell them, or peel them to obtain a kernel, and sell the pine nut kernels themselves.

Process

The collected cones are crushed in a special peeling device in small batches. Crushed raw materials are placed in bags or containers.

Large debris is removed using vibrating trays using the shaking method. Next, the raw materials are processed in a winnowing machine.

The nut, completely cleared of debris, is calibrated to a diameter of 0.5 - 0.8 cm in a sieve classifier and is sent for peeling, or shell collapse. Peeling is the most labor-intensive and scrupulous process, because its main task is to keep the kernel intact. Only use of modern high-tech equipmentwill allow you to get a core of excellent quality.

Devices for processing cedar cones.

When organizing a small enterprise, you can do without purchasing a powerful line, but will buy a simple device - a machine for processing cedar cones. It performs almost the same functions, but has less productivity, about 150 kg. Such equipment costs about 57 thousand rubles.

For home business You can make a peeling unit yourself. There are many simple schemes for making such a device.

Processing 50 kg of cones (about 1 bag) will cost 30 rubles.

Cost estimates (average figures; in each region they may vary in one direction or another depending on your entrepreneurial spirit):

Renting premises - the price is purely individual;
purchase of cones - 2,000 rubles. per bag;
purchase of a plant for processing pine cones into nuts - 50,000 rubles;
service for processing cedar cones (if you do not have your own equipment) - one bag (50 kg) of cones - 25 rubles. Keep in mind that losses after processing are no more than 3-5%;
drying chamber- from 270 thousand rubles;
vacuum packaging machine - 45,000 rubles;
The cost range for ready-made, assembled workshops for processing pine nuts per kernel is from 1.5 million rubles. up to 11 million rubles depending on productivity per shift;
price for 1 kg of unshelled pine nuts - 350 rubles;
the price for 1 kg of peeled cedar kernel is 800-1000 rubles.

Documents:

Required documents for the lesson entrepreneurial activity on nuts: registration individual entrepreneur, certificates of conformity of product quality.

Options for business areas:

We all think that the pine nut is a completely useless fruit that is not good for anything. However, if you think about it, it can have many uses. Its processing allows us to obtain high-quality oil, which is in great demand. And if you set up the production of this oil, you can promote your business well, because competition in this niche is minimal. To produce cedar oil, you will need a special press and filters, the total cost of which is about 450,000 rubles. You will also need a bottling (dosing) device and containers.

Let's summarize:

So, the purchase of equipment for processing pine nuts will cost about 370 thousand rubles. During a season, profit can reach 500 thousand rubles, so the initial investment can be recouped in the first season and make a profit.

Whatever business plan you choose, remember that the business will definitely be profitable only if it followsmain competitive advantages : control constant quality products, bright packaging design, as wide a range as possible (fresh, roasted nuts, different types in packaging of various weights, etc.). published

Pine nuts

When buying nuts in a store or market, we usually don’t think about how the process of cleaning the kernels from the shell occurs. Of course, at home we chop them manually using special tongs, but peeling nuts on an industrial scale is a completely different matter, and here you can’t get by with tongs.

Nowadays, there is modern equipment for processing nuts, thanks to which the labor-intensive manual process is replaced by a mechanical one, which makes it possible to clean large number nuts for short term. In this article we will tell you how nuts are processed on factory lines.

Cleaning walnuts is a complex procedure that is carried out in several steps:

• drying;
• separation into fractions and waste screening;
• separation of kernels from the shell;
• drying.

Various technologies are used to clean nuts. The simplest of them involves the use of a machine consisting of a crushing compartment and sieves of different calibers. First, the nuts are compressed by metal profiles, as a result of which the shell is destroyed, and then the kernels are separated from the husk using a fan and sifted through sieves with different hole sizes.

Large factories use more powerful equipment lines and high-tech methods for cleaning nuts using high temperatures and pressure changes. In the first method, they are calcined in a special machine, which leads to an increase in pressure inside the nut and to the destruction of the shell. In the second case, the nuts are placed in a special chamber in which the pressure is first increased to several atmospheres and then quickly decreased. As a result of strong pressure changes, the shell also bursts, while the kernels remain intact.

In rare cases, nuts are cleaned using liquid nitrogen. With this technology, the nuts are preheated and then quickly cooled with liquid nitrogen, causing the shells to crack.

In accordance with GOST standards, walnut kernels after cleaning are calibrated according to their composition:

• highest grade - whole kernels and halves, with the number of halves not exceeding 10 percent;
• first grade - it is allowed to contain no more than 15 percent of quarters and smaller pieces in the total mass of whole kernels;
• third grade - 60 percent of the nut mass consists of halves of kernels and parts of ¾ and quarter sizes.
• fourth grade - small pieces of kernels.

Special machines are also used to sort walnuts. In addition, there are requirements for the humidity of the kernels - it should not exceed 10 percent. Drying is carried out using drying equipment, after which the nuts are sealed in vacuum packaging.

Processing of cedar

Pine nuts are also cleaned at the plant using specialized equipment.

The nut processing line consists of machines used for the following actions:

• drying and cleaning nuts;
• separation of nuts into fractions by size;
• peeling of nuts;
• separation of kernels from the husk;
• cleaning kernels from film;
• washing and drying kernels;
• sorting.

After all stages are completed, the cedar kernels are placed in film and sold. The use of technological equipment allows us to process several tons of pine nuts per day. At the same time, the disadvantage of the mechanical method of processing pine nuts into kernels is that rough parts of the mechanism can disrupt the integrity of the kernels, which negatively affects the quality.

Business ideas

Nuts are renowned for their nutritional value, so own production by processing them can bring good income. When creating small production You can avoid purchasing a powerful line, limiting yourself to purchasing simpler devices that perform the same actions, but with less productivity. And to organize a business at home, you can assemble a huller yourself using simple diagrams that are available on the Internet.

When developing production, you can focus not only on nut kernels, but also on other processed products: oil, cake, shell powder. These products (especially oil) are also in demand on the market, while competition in this area is relatively small. However, to obtain oil you will need to additionally purchase a special press and filters.

In addition, you can purchase already peeled walnut and pine nut kernels in bulk and set up a small packaging line for them. Considering the high cost of nuts, this business can also bring a stable profit. At the same time, no matter what method of processing nuts you prefer, you need to remember that the enterprise will be successful only if it uses competitive advantages: high quality products, a wide range (raw and roasted nuts, oils, etc.) and attractive packaging that provides safety of goods.

• Calibrator-sorter
• Walnut shelling machine
• Vibrating sieve calibrator
• Belt conveyor (inspection table)

Walnut processing line– this is a comprehensive solution that consists of a set specially selected for the full cycle of walnut processing, in order to maximize the optimization of the walnut processing process and obtain a good indicator of the whole kernel.

Walnut processing line

The automatic machine for calibrating walnuts is rotary and is designed in the form of a working sectional drum with required sizes calibration holes in each section of the drum. The working drum is made of sieves with the required diameter of calibration holes.

Rotary Walnut Sizing Machine NRS-4M is used for sorting nuts by size.

• The productivity of the machine depends on the rotation speed of the calibration drum and ranges from 350 to 1200 kg/hour. The drum rotation speed is set depending on required quality walnut size calibration.
• The drum consists of four calibration sections, each section has its own sorting hole diameter of 25, 30, 33 and 40 mm.
• Using the regulator, you can control the rotation speed of the calibration drum from 1 to 30 revolutions per minute.
• Supply voltage – 220 V. Power consumption – 1200 W.
• Machine weight - 472 kg. Dimensions - 5150 x 2220 x 1070 mm.

After the nut is calibrated, it must be cracked and from this stage its processing begins. The quality of the final product depends on how well the split was performed, which affects the price.

Walnut splitting machines with a splitting unit design consisting of two splitting plates have proven themselves very well. With this machine it is possible to adjust the gap between the piercing plates, which allows you to get a high percentage of whole kernels.

ODM – 994/250 Walnut peeling machine

• Designed for splitting nut shells in industrial quantities.
• Working productivity of nut peeling - 200-250 kg/hour
• Adjustment of the gap between the stabbing plates – from 0 to 5 mm
• Supply voltage – 380 V. Power consumption – 1.6 kW.
• Machine weight - 360 kg. Dimensions - 725 x 905 x 1690 mm.

After splitting, the nut goes to a vibrating sieve, where it is sorted into fractions and partially shelled. Using a vibrating sieve, you can quickly and efficiently sort nuts in industrial quantities. The vibrating sieve is an integral part of the walnut processing line.

Vibrating sieve for sorting chopped nuts VSC-4N

• To calibrate chopped nuts, the sieve contains three replaceable sieves with sorting cell diameters of 18, 8 and 4x25 mm and a non-removable sieve with cells with a diameter of 2x16 mm.
• Vibration is created using two electric vibrators. When adjusting electric vibrators, you can control the vibration amplitude, 16.7 Hz vibration frequency.
• Using an industrial hood with a power of 2.25 kW, the product is cleaned of debris.
• Machine productivity – 850 kg/hour.
• Supply voltage – 380 V. Power consumption – 3.5 kW.
• Machine weight – 800 kg. Dimensions 3957 x 2596 x 2563 mm.

The final processing of the nut is done manually, in this way it is possible to achieve the best result and obtain a high percentage of the whole kernel. To optimize the process, inspection tables are used, the belt of which is divided into several sections, which allows the remains of the shell and nut kernels to move along different parts of the conveyor and be poured into different containers.

Inspection table for chopped nuts SI-2

It is used to separate debris and shell residues from nut kernels and to transport them into containers. Product sorting is carried out by at least two operators using visual control.

• Conveyor belt type - food grade polyurethane.
• Number of levels of conveyor belts - 2 pcs.
• Machine productivity – 1000 kg/hour.
• Supply voltage – 220 V. Power consumption – 0.8 kW.
• Machine weight – 250 kg. Dimensions 5400 x 1050 x 1600 mm.

Walnut processing today is developing, gaining momentum and attracting more and more people. Some who once tried themselves in the nut business do not stop, but, on the contrary, increase the scale of nut processing. But there are people for whom this business did not work out, the investments did not pay off and the nut business came to naught. Why can walnut processing fail, and what are the main reasons for a failed walnut business?

The main reasons why the nut business did not take off?

Poor quality raw materials. The most important product you will deal with is walnuts, and the most important task at the first stage is purchasing high-quality walnuts. Further processing, processing time and, of course, most importantly, the integrity of the output kernel and, as a result, its value on the market will depend on how good a nut is purchased.

Walnut without calibration. Many nut growers skip such an important process as nut calibration - sorting the nut by size for further high-quality splitting. We all know that in Ukraine there are few high-quality nuts and all the nuts that we buy are nuts from different trees, of different varieties, sizes and quality. And when the process of splitting begins, such a nut splits unevenly, with a large percentage of under-chopping or, even worse, cracking, and the integrity of the kernel is reduced.

*Important! When working with an uncalibrated nut, you lose from 20 to 40% of the whole kernel (depending on the quality of the nut and other factors)!

Incorrectly selected equipment. Before starting processing, namely walnut chopping, you need to estimate how much walnut per day/week/month you plan to chop, how many workers will work with the walnut, and then plan what equipment you need to buy for walnut processing. Often people are chasing fast splitting and high-performance equipment, but not everyone understands that fast splitting can have different effects for different volumes of nuts.
Selection of personnel and recruiters. When the main stages of processing have been completed - sizing and chopping the nut, the next, important step comes: sorting, cleaning and sorting the nut. By hiring unqualified people or people “from the street” due to inexperience, you run the risk of getting not a high-quality whole kernel, but a split mix (quarters, halves, eighths of the kernel).

Unequipped room for nut processing. Very important point in nut processing, this is a room where not only equipment for calibration and nut chopping will be located, but also a place for drying nuts, convenient workplaces for sorters, food containers and boxes for kernels, a place for storing nuts, etc.
Lack of sales contacts. The last but not least important process is the sale of nuts after processing. Often, without information about where to sell the nut, walnut growers send lots of nuts to the market, where resellers buy the nut at an inexpensive price and then sell it for twice the price.

How to avoid failure?

Buy only high-quality nuts, this season, pleasant in appearance, without cracks, uniform color and smooth shell. Trust trusted sellers, be sure to test the nuts before purchasing, selectively split a couple or three nuts from different parts of the bag, this way you will protect yourself from buying a “pig in a poke.” More tips for purchasing walnuts, read here - Tips for purchasing walnuts.
Calibrate the nut! This can be manual sorting of the nut by size, if there is not a lot of nut, or mechanical calibration of the nut using equipment. In any case, you will keep the core intact during splitting, avoiding undercuts and, accordingly, additional manual reassembly. Buy a calibrator for walnuts - Calibrator for walnuts.
Before starting work, estimate the volume of your production. If you are a beginner nut grower and have a small volume of nuts, then you should not strive for high productivity and quick splitting. Start with small mechanical equipment so you can master your splitting skills and keep your kernel intact. Work for electrical equipment with a small amount of nut will not show a good result, but on the contrary, every flaw in the nut will be visible. You can take risks and buy large equipment for small volumes when you have an ideal, calibrated nut.

For large-scale industrial processing, opt for more professional equipment, where the quality and speed of processing are superior. high level. Such nut crackers can operate without calibration, which will significantly reduce the cost of calibration equipment and speed up the splitting process.

For sorting, hire qualified people who have been involved in walnut sorting and know all the nuances of nut processing. Equip your staff with additional tools that will speed up the work of cleaning and sorting nuts and protect the sorters from injuries and cuts. If your business is just beginning to develop, you can involve relatives in the work, so you will save on staff salaries and be confident in the quality and honesty of the work.
To optimize the work process, it is necessary to equip the workroom with everything necessary for complete and efficient processing of walnuts. The room should have an equipment area where nut crackers, calibrators, vibrating tables, etc. will be installed. Next, it is necessary to equip an area for working personnel - sorters, tables for sorting, lighting, additional tools for cleaning nuts, containers for kernels and recyclables. The better the workflow and space, the more efficient the work and the final result will be!
To sell walnuts, namely the kernel, it is necessary to establish sales contacts and find sellers who would buy them at a high price. The easiest way to find such people is on the Internet, in social networks or on message boards, where everyone's price is higher and higher. There you can also find import partners who are ready to purchase nuts from other countries; this option is much more profitable and profitable. Don’t forget about waste - shells and partitions, you can also sell them and make money!

We see that the nut business has its own nuances, mistakes and pitfalls that can drag you back. However, following these tips and recommendations you can avoid them! Develop your nut business with the Orekhovod company!