Roasted sunflower seeds are a very popular product in our country. Moreover, everyone buys it with pleasure: not only young people, but also older people. The demand for this product in the snack category is stable, so there is an opportunity to build a profitable and promising business in this niche. Today we will talk about how to organize the production of seeds and their sale.
Product group characteristics
If we compare fried seeds with other products from the snack category (crackers, chips, etc.), they differ favorably in that the target audience of their consumers is the widest. The popularity of sunflower seeds can be explained by the following factors:
- there are no age restrictions, they are allowed to be used by children, adults and the elderly;
— there are no restrictions on the place of consumption, you can enjoy the seeds at home, outdoors, and indoors (for example, some people enjoy husking them in the office);
- absence of negative effects on the human body with moderate consumption of this product.
In addition, the seeds contain a lot of substances useful to humans, such as vitamins A, B, D and E, zinc, magnesium, as well as unsaturated fatty acids. Eating this product helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, accelerates the process of skin regeneration, improves hair condition, and also has a calming effect on the human nervous system, which makes it easier, for example, to quit smoking. Therefore, when 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 healthy.
Development prospects
After appropriate reconfiguration, ovens that were used for roasting sunflower seeds can be used with the same success for roasting pumpkin seeds, peanuts, coffee beans, etc.
In addition, by purchasing separate equipment for cleaning, peeling and separating sunflower seeds (about 670 thousand rubles), you can sell sunflower kernels, which also have their own demand.
By and large, there are quite a few development options: it could be the production of feed cake, flour, oil, drying oil, margarine, kozinaki, halva and much more.
| This composition of the line for the production of seeds and nuts is recommended for start-up enterprises. Thanks to the optimal price-quality ratio, the manufacturer is able to recoup the cost of the seed production line immediately. The small size of the line allows the room to be used for the production of seeds no more than 10 sq.m . The line is shipped to any city in Russia with the help of transport companies or container transportation. The line area is 2 m2. The mass of the confectionery shop is 100 kg. |
Business Highlights
The production of fried seeds, like any other enterprise, has a number of its own characteristics. These include the following:
- Availability of raw materials, as well as its relatively low cost.
- Opportunity to buy an inexpensive machine for the production of seeds.
- Quick return on initial investment.
In addition, the prospect of further business development is also very tempting. Thus, the equipment used can be easily reconfigured for roasting coffee beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, etc. If in the future you decide to purchase additional units, you can start producing butter, margarine, drying oil, feed cake and a host of other products.
All of the above makes this enterprise a very successful and promising idea. First, you need to draw up a business plan for production.
Seeds as a business: consumers and sales of finished products
As a rule, manufacturers of roasted sunflower seeds do not sell them in retail, preferring wholesale supplies. To do this, it is necessary to establish contractual relationships both with large retail chains and with a number of small shops, stalls and kiosks, as well as, if possible, with distributors and wholesale buyers.
Do not underestimate the activity of competitors in this segment, which makes it necessary to carefully plan all activities aimed at expanding the sales channels of your products.
About sales channels and supply of raw materials
Finding manufacturer-suppliers is not difficult; every day they post advertisements in conventional or electronic media. You need to choose a partner whose prices and quality are most satisfactory.
It is advisable to make several test purchases from different companies at the initial stage. Then the raw materials that have become the best are determined. It is supplied to industrial machines on an ongoing basis.
Buyers of ready-made seeds are usually:
- Station kiosks.
- The shops.
- Supermarkets.
Raffles, additional gifts inside the package, intrusive advertising - this is what is used to obtain maximum demand. After all, the number of offers on the market is very large. And there are many competitors, the technologies are almost the same.
Frying
This is the most important stage of seed production. 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, fins, a thermostat, windows for removing moisture and a paddle for sampling. Sometimes this equipment also includes coolers.
In addition to electric ones, gas-fired drum furnaces are also widely used. They retain all the technical characteristics of the former, but allow significant savings on electricity.
Several organizational points
At first, you should choose the organizational and legal form of the enterprise being created. The most preferred options are:
- IP (individual entrepreneur);
- LLC on a simplified taxation system. In both cases, a fixed payment will have to be transferred to the state treasury, but when choosing the second option, it is also necessary to have a certain size of the authorized capital, produce a seal, develop a charter, etc.
It is advisable to choose an LLC if you have two or more partners. Individual entrepreneurs are characterized by a simplified registration procedure, accounting and reporting forms.
When registering an enterprise, you must indicate the following OKVED code:
15.33 “Processing and canning of fruits and vegetables not included in other groups.”
First of all, it is necessary to issue a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion for production (contact the Rospotrebnadzor office at the place of registration of the enterprise). To date, the mandatory certification procedure has been cancelled.
If desired, you can issue a voluntary certificate of conformity. Documentary evidence of compliance with hygienic and sanitary-ecological standards of finished products will contribute to increased demand. To obtain such a document, you must provide samples of roasted seeds and the following documents:
- technical passport for seeds;
- characteristics of production equipment;
- certificate of state registration of the enterprise;
- charter;
- lease agreement for industrial premises.
Choosing the most preferable model of equipment for the production of fried seeds
The most popular option is the electric drum oven. It consists respectively of a drum, agitators, a thermostat, windows for removing moisture and a paddle for sampling.
Some models have additional equipment in the form of coolers. Drum furnaces that run on gas are also quite in demand. They perform all the necessary functions, while at the same time saving energy. Bottled gas is used as fuel for the furnace.
The next popular model is equipment that works on the principle of frying in a stream of hot air.
A distinctive feature of such models is a special technology in which the seeds are placed in a hopper and fried “in a fluidized bed.” The frying itself is carried out in suspension due to the operation of a pressure fan. The main advantage of such equipment is the powerful blowing of raw materials, in which all carbon particles settle in the exhaust pipe and do not mix with the finished product.
There are also models that work on the principle of infrared radiation. The seeds are fried or dried using such a flow, heating only the raw materials, and not the surrounding air. Often such furnaces are characterized by a continuous operating cycle and a correspondingly high level of productivity. The equipment allows you to obtain a completely ready-to-eat and evenly fried product, in which there are no burnt particles.
The main characteristic features of the operation of such furnaces are:
- energy saving;
- cleanliness of the production process and the resulting product;
- absence of heating (carbon deposits) on the surface of the product and the walls of the oven;
- natural air temperature in an industrial room;
- absence of soot and burning, prompt and extremely precise adjustment of operating modes.
Such devices are ideal not only for roasting seeds, but also nuts, vegetables and even potatoes.
Another model that is quite common in the market for the production of roasted seeds is microwave roasting ovens. Compared to the last oven, it has many more advantages. Fryers in modern production lines often contain two of the above models. Their average cost is about 1.5 million rubles.
Without coolers, it is quite difficult to imagine the production process for the production of fried seeds.
The seeds cool down slowly, and maintaining a high temperature inside the product shell for a long time leads to a decrease in labor productivity and, accordingly, a low volume of output. Coolers will also prevent the seeds from overcooking, which in turn will contribute to the production of a high-quality product. There are currently two types of coolers: the conveyor type model and the open circular design with agitators. The choice of the most preferable model depends on the area of the production workshop and the operating principle of the equipment.
Polishing seeds involves cleaning them from debris and soot.
For this purpose, specialized cleaning and polishing machines are used. If it is used, there is no need to pre-wash the seeds.
Filling and packing are the final stage of the production process. The level of consumer demand depends on the attractiveness of the seed's appearance.
The standard packaging option looks like a three-seam bag consisting of a “pillow” (two horizontal and one vertical “Euro seams”). This type of roasted seeds is provided by filling and packaging machines that have a volumetric or weight dispenser.
Let's consider some aspects of equipment operation
Roasted sunflower seeds are poured into the storage hopper of the filling machine, then they are fed into the dispenser, where the required doses are separated and the packaging is formed. The key factor when choosing equipment is the productivity of the installation, namely the number of packages produced per minute. It is also desirable to have a function for changing to a different package size in case of production need and a different dosage of the product. Thus, a universal device will allow you to achieve efficiency and high productivity. In conditions of limited financial capabilities, you can purchase a semi-automatic packaging machine without a dispenser (bag former and sealer).
To work with such equipment it is necessary to use two operators. One - using a measuring cup, pours in the required amount of the finished product, and the second - measures a certain section of the bag, seals it, cuts it off using a semi-automatic machine and puts packs of sunflower seeds into cardboard boxes (large bags).
Equipment for seed production
The main investments for the manufacture of such products will be related to 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, this procedure can be performed manually);
— units for calibrating seeds;
- brazier;
— cooler;
— filling and packaging machine.
Of course, you can purchase equipment separately, but the best option would be to purchase a ready-made production line.
If the size of your investment in the business is limited, then you can purchase a mini-line for the production of fried seeds. It is based on an electric oven capable of producing 60-100 kilograms of finished products per hour. It is assumed that washing and drying will be done manually. To operate such a production line, two people will be required. 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 you will need to spend at least 1.2 million rubles on its purchase. In this case, you will need a workshop with an area of at least 50 square meters.
Financial calculations
Before starting a business, you should calculate all possible expenses and include them in the business plan.
Starting capital and monthly expenses
In the initial expenses column, first of all, you need to enter the purchase of equipment (prices in rubles):
- roasting oven – 33,000;
- cooling unit with anti-carbon filters – 32,000;
- packaging machine – 45,000.
Also, the starting capital includes the cost of raw materials and transport - 50,000, wages to workers for the first month - 48,000, rent for the same period - 6,000. Costs for a cash register - 18,000, for registration of all documents - 10,000, for Internet accounting – 8,000 (annual payment). An advertising campaign and website creation will cost 40,000, and iron doors in the workshop will cost 10,000.
In total, to start a business you will need 300,000 rubles.
Monthly expenses will include costs for raw materials and transportation, wages and rent. The figure comes out quite modest - 104,000 rubles.
How much can you earn and payback period
A kilogram of raw seeds when purchased in bulk will cost 22 rubles. The cost of a 50-gram package: 1.1 rubles for raw materials and 30 kopecks for packaging. If you include here the employee’s wages and utility bills, it comes out to 2.5 rubles. The cost of a 50-gram pack in the store is approximately 25 rubles. Without value added tax, this figure is equal to 20 rubles. As a result, the profitability of one pack is 17.5 rubles.
The production line is capable of producing 45,000 packages per month (25 shifts). We multiply this figure by 17.5 and get a profit without paying taxes - 787,500 rubles. But this is the case if you have your own store, and all the seeds are sold out.
If you sell seeds wholesale, the price per pack starts from 6 rubles. In this case, the profit without taxes is 157,500.
If you subtract 6% tax, you get 148,050 net profit, which is also not bad.
Full payback in this case is in three months.
Business in the production of fried seeds: the financial side of the issue
To begin with, we suggest estimating the approximate initial investment. So, if you decide to organize the production of fried seeds with the purchase of a mini-line for their production, then to start such a business you will have to invest about 1 million rubles (including the purchase of raw materials, renting premises and hiring workers).
As for income, monthly revenue will be about 800 thousand rubles. In this case, the net profit will be at the level of 110 thousand rubles. Thus, the initial investment will be able to pay off within 10-12 months of active work.
So, we can conclude that roasted sunflower seeds as a business is a very profitable, promising, highly profitable and quickly pays off business.
Feasibility study of the project
Subject to the purchase of a “quick start” line, capital costs are required:
- set of production equipment – 455 thousand rubles;
- equipment for calibration – 240 thousand rubles;
- expenses for setup, installation of equipment and personnel training – 35 thousand rubles;
- preparation of production premises (50 sq. m) – 50 thousand rubles;
- creation of inventory (1 month) – 250 thousand rubles;
- other expenses – 50 thousand rubles.
In total, to implement the project for the production of roasted packaged sunflower seeds, 1,080 thousand rubles are needed. starting investments.
