As Zambia continues to strengthen food security and promote agricultural value addition, maize milling remains one of the most important agribusiness opportunities for farmers and entrepreneurs across the country. With nshima firmly established as Zambia’s staple food, the demand for quality mealie meal remains consistently high, creating opportunities for local processors to add value to their maize production.

Recognising this need, SARO Agro Industrial Limited continues to support farmers, cooperatives and small-scale millers by providing reliable maize milling solutions through the supply of hammer mills and maize dehullers, essential machines in the production of mealie meal.

These machines form a complete milling solution, enabling customers to produce both of Zambia’s most commonly consumed mealie meal products, namely Roller Mealie Meal and Breakfast Mealie Meal.

The hammer mill – Zambia’s famous ‘Chigayo’

The hammer mill, known locally as the “Chigayo”, is one of the most recognisable agricultural processing machines in Zambia. The machine processes maize, seeds and grains into mealie meal through a crushing and grinding mechanism that breaks down the grain into fine particles suitable for consumption.

When whole maize grain is processed directly through a hammer mill, the resulting product is Roller Mealie Meal, a popular and affordable staple consumed by households throughout the country.

SARO supplies hammer mills in both electric and diesel-powered models to suit different operating environments and customer requirements. Among the most popular is a hammer mill powered by the robust Kirloskar TV2 diesel engine, renowned across Zambia for its reliability, durability and low maintenance requirements.

SARO’s Hammer Mill with its Kirloskar diesel engine in the SARO showroom.

The Kirloskar TV2 Hammer Mill can process approximately 360 kg to 400 kg of mealie meal per hour, making it an ideal solution for commercial millers, farmer groups and rural entrepreneurs seeking efficient and dependable milling capacity.

Power options for every operation

Due to SARO’s offering of both electric and diesel-powered hammers and maize dehullers, the company contributes to the varying needs of customers across Zambia.

In areas with reliable electricity supply, electric models provide efficient operation, while diesel-powered units equipped with the renowned Kirloskar engines offer dependable performance in remote locations where grid power may be unavailable or unreliable.

The maize dehuller: Creating additional value

Complementing the hammer mill is the maize dehuller, a machine designed to remove the outer hull from maize kernels to produce maize samp. This process plays a critical role in the production of Breakfast Mealie Meal. Once maize has been dehulled into samp, the material can then be processed through a hammer mill to produce the finer and whiter Breakfast Mealie Meal preferred by most consumers.

The dehulling process also creates an important secondary product, maize bran. Rather than becoming waste, maize bran serves as a valuable livestock feed ingredient widely used in poultry, pig and cattle production, creating an additional income stream for millers and farmers.

SARO’s diesel-powered Maize Dehuller fitted with the dependable Kirloskar TV2 engine processes approximately 200 kg of maize per hour, offering efficient production for both rural and commercial operations.

Dehuller Navin is busy working with a blower fan equipped with a Kirloskar TV2 diesel engine.

Producing both Roller and Breakfast Mealie Meal

For entrepreneurs looking to establish a complete milling business, owning both a hammer mill and a maize dehuller provides maximum flexibility and profitability.

Whole maize processed directly through the hammer mill produces Roller Mealie Meal, while maize first processed through the dehuller to produce samp and subsequently milled through the hammer mill produces Breakfast Mealie Meal.

This combination enables millers to cater to different customer preferences and market segments while maximising returns from every bag of maize processed.

Supporting farmers beyond equipment supply

SARO Agro Industrial Limited’s role extends far beyond supplying machinery. The company provides practical training to customers on machine operation, maintenance and best practices to ensure optimal performance and long service life.

In addition, SARO maintains a reliable supply of genuine spare parts and after-sales support through its nationwide branch network, ensuring customers can keep their operations running efficiently with minimal downtime.

Empowering rural industrialisation

By making modern maize processing equipment accessible to farmers and entrepreneurs, SARO Agro Industrial Limited continues to play a vital role in promoting rural industrialisation, improving food security and creating employment opportunities throughout Zambia.

Through quality machinery, technical training, spare parts support and decades of agricultural expertise, SARO remains committed to helping customers move beyond primary production and unlock the full value of their harvests.

For many farmers and entrepreneurs, investing in a hammer mill and maize dehuller is more than simply purchasing machinery, it is an investment in value addition, business growth and Zambia’s food future.

Visit the SARO website at www.sarozambia.com to learn more about the wide range of equipment they have available to suit your every farming need.