August 28th 2009
NFM posts $.4m profit more...

May 28th 2009
Indian Arrival day dress up competition more...

May 26th 2009
NFM and ASA-IM host small Ruminant seminar more...

May 19th 2009
NFM and ASA-IM host Poultry seminar more...

• Flour Milling
• Feed Milling
• Rice Milling

The population of Trinidad and Tobago is made up of many races and cultures. About 40% are of African descent, 40% of Indian descent and the remainder can be traced to Europe, South America, The Middle East and China.

Likewise, the food in Trinidad and Tobago is as diverse as its population. Many favourite ethnic dishes are flour-based, such as roti, doubles, bake, dumplings, to name a few.

Because of the popularity of these dishes, there is a strong retail market for flour in Trinidad and Tobago. Domestic consumption accounts for about 85% of all flour production at National Flour Mills (NFM). However, exports are growing, especially to other nations in the Caribbean community, and are expected to be the main source of growth as many local market sectors are saturated.

In addition to bulk flour, we package flour and edible oil under our own brand names, which includes "good 'N' natural," "Lotus" and "IBIS," and for private labels. Our company has also formulated flours specifically for baking crackers and cookies.

U.S. wheat is primarily used, including Dark Northern Spring, Soft Red Winter and Hard Red Winter wheat varieties.

Although Trinidad and Tobago is geographically closest to South America, we rarely purchase South American wheat. Vessels are brought in with tonnages of up to 30,000 tonnes from the United States every three weeks, stacked with all grains - wheat, soybeans, corn and rice. Such a facility is logistically difficult to arrange from South America

A wheat sample is analyzed prior to the vessel's arrival. Our quality assurance specialists also inspect the grain before it is discharged from the ship and transferred to storage silos.

The stored grain is then distributed, on demand, to wheat holding bins dedicated to each of the two 220-tonne (per 24 hours) mills. The grain is drawn from these bins weighed, cleaned and tempered. The moistened grain is allowed to rest for 16 to 20 hours on the A Mill and for 12 to 16 hours on the B Mill before being milled.

In the milling process, the clean, tempered grain is crushed, sifted and purified. The flour, which is tested every two hours, is transferred to storage bins, blended and distributed to the 2-, 10- and 45-kilogram packers and bulk trucks. A Compuweigh yield management system is used in the milling process to continuously monitor the mills' extractions, which averages 74% on each unit.

Apart from flour, we also produce cracked wheat, fine bran, coarse bran, semolina and wheat germ.

In 1996 a flour blending system was added, giving us the ability to blend wheat and flour. The blending of flour also facilitated longer mill runs, resulting in the overall improvement in the efficiency of the plant. Better moisture control, improved extractions, protein recovery, ash levels and less spillages also resulted in an overall improvement in plant sanitation.

NFM's fixed assets comprises equipment from many major manufacturers. The company uses Henry Simon rollermills, Great Western sifters, Buhler purifiers and filter heads, Kice blower and filter systems and a Sangatti Rollermill and moisture addition system; as well as Fawema, Buhler and Swiss Industrial flour packers. Our storage and elevator operations include a Buhler grain conveying system, a Neuero pneumatic ship unloading system and concrete and steel storage silos.

Moller's Fully Automatic Bag Palletizer

Commissioned : Monday July 13, 2001
Maximum Capacity: 30 (10 kg) paper bags per minute
H.R. Requirement: One (1) Operator
Pallet Type Used: Wood/Plastic
Pallet Dimensions: 60"*48"*6"/40"*48"*6"

Main Components

• Pallet Accumulation Conveyors
• Pallet System
• Pallet Lift
• Top Press
• Split Plates
• Layer Pusher
• Bag Turning System
• Infeed Conveyor

General Sequence Of Operation

As the bags are fed to the bag turning conveyor via an infeed conveyor, they activate a photo eye which feeds a pulse to the bag pattern programme. This programme is the controlling device for the bag turning conveyor and the orientation of the bags in the machine.

The bag pattern counter is set so that the bag entering will form two layers with the second inverted to the first. NFM uses either 10 bags per layer * 12 layers or 8 bags per layer * 15 layers i.e. 120 bags per pallet.

The bags are oriented in the required position by the bag turning system. When the required amount of bags for the layer is achieved the layer pusher feeds the bags to the split plates from where they are dispensed unto the empty pallet on the pallet lift for the palletizing sequence.

Pallets are fed from the empty pallet magazine to the pallet lift, which is positioned to receive a layer of bags as stated previously. This process is repeated until the set number of layers is achieved. The full pallet is then discharged to the pallet accumulation conveyors for transfer to the warehousing area.

In 1995, a decision was taken to relocate NFM's feed milling operations from Sea Lots to corporate Headquarters on Wrightson Road, which will enhance productivity levels, increase efficiencies and improve quality.

NFM decided to upgrade its feed milling technological capabilities in order to become internationally competitive and relocate its operations closer to its raw material input which would effect greater cost savings and redound to the benefit of all our stakeholders. In April 1997, an agreement was signed with Strongco Inc of Canada for the provision of the foreign component of the New Feed Mill.

Construction of the new facility began in the 4th quarter of 1997 with the plant site and foundation being prepared by Consulting Engineering Partners Limited. Structural steel design and installation was provided by Camejo & Associates and Francis Lau Construction Co. Limited. Strongco's installation supervisor was on site from March 1998 and the imposing structure that now dominates the Wrightson Road skyline began to take shape.

The new Feed Mill is a perfect example of modern feed milling technology and has the capability to produce a wide range of poultry and livestock feeds. All receiving and processing operations are under computer control with semi automatic packaging and manual palletizing of finished product. The major raw material inputs to the facility come from NFM's existing manufacturing operations. These include corn, soyabean meal, soya bean hulls, crude hydrogenated soyabean oil, wheat middlings, broken rice and rice bran.

NFM's New Feed Mill has an ingredient-batching rate of 30 metric tonnes per hour. The main feed mixing system features an Apec horizontal ribbon mixer designed to mix with a coefficient of variation of 8 at 3 minutes per mix. Pelleting of feeds is accomplished by an impressive 7730-8 CPM pellet mill with a range of capacities from 15 MTH for APF/Dairy feeds to 27 MTH for poultry feeds. Meal and pellet packaging carry a range of 24-27 metric tonnes per hour depending on bag size.

The plant ensures that the feed mill is consistent with NFM's standards for productivity, efficiency and quality. It presents tremendous opportunities for NFM's growth and diversification efforts while incorporating synergies for/with the Company's other functional areas.

FEED, POULTRY & LIVESTOCK DIVISION

Ingredients

By-products:
Wheat Middling, Flour, Soya Meal, Soya Hulls, Rice Bran, Broken Rice, Corn, Coconut Meal and Fish Meal

Most are derived from our flour, rice and edible oil manufacturing processes. Whole Corn, Coconut Meal and Fish Meal are imported via our deep-water harbour.

System

Total Ingredients Storage Capacity - 575 cu.m.
Total Daily Pelleting Capacity - 270 Tons / 24 Hrs All Purpose Feed (A.P.F.)

The Ingredients Cleaning System consists of four in-line grain cleaners strategically located in the Whole Corn and Mash Transfer Systems.

The Batching System features a fully computerized process consisting of four electronic scales. This system is configured to produce a batch of feed in ten minutes. The system also ensures that there is no significant variation in the quantity of different ingredients to be used in a formulation.

The Grinding System is of a Post Grind design supported by a state of the art 30 MTPH Hammer Mill fitted with 3mm (8mesh) screens.

The Mixing System has one 3000 kg horizontal Ribbon Mixer with enhanced liquid addition features for molasses and oil with a tolerance of + 3.0% and a low coefficient of variation of less than 10%.

The Pelleting System requires little manual involvement. It is equipped with automatic mash feeding, steam addition and molasses addition, ensuring the consistent quality of the pelleted product.

A Rotary Fat Coater guarantees the even distribution of fat on the pelleted and crumbled feeds used in broiler production.

The electronic Bagging Scale can be configured to dispense either 22.5 kg or 45 kg bags at a rate of 600 bags / hour All Purpose Feed (A.P.F.).

Products

NFM produces range of livestock feeds including broiler, layer, swine, dairy, beef, duck, aquaculture, small ruminants, rabbit, dog and puppy feeds. 

Special requests are facilitated.

NFM's Rice Mill, Carlsen Field, is the only local receiver/processor of paddy and is the major player in the sustenance of rice farming in Trinidad and Tobago. Leased by the Government to NFM in 1985, it can be considered a miniaturized version of our larger Wrightson Road farm, boasting a sales office, Laboratory, Elevator/Drying, Milling and Packaging, Warehouse, Maintenance and Administration Departments. Well-trained and efficient staff, complimented with state of the art equipment in some areas, man each section.

While there is a percentage of sales conducted at The Rice Mill, most packaged products are transferred to Wrightson Road. These include all sizes of Lotus, Good n' Natural and Grade III finished white rice. Rice husk, a derivative of paddy, is used by our own poultry project and in the steel industry, while dockage is the preferred substitute as manure/fertilizer for certain farmers. Rice paddy is thus a highly versatile commodity with little or no wastage. The real challenge therefore, is not in the utilization of white rice, but in the improvement of raw material to the mill in order to meet and exceed the established standards, then to increase the production levels to ensure sustainability of supply.

Laboratory

Our Laboratory is fully equipped and capable of simulating all aspects of the Milling process as well as determining the grades of paddy through detailed sampling. On line and finished rice testing are also conducted in accordance with ISO 9002 procedures.

Sales Office

Equipped with double-weigh-bridges with computerized interface

Elevator Department

Bulk receiving pit, paddy pre-cleaner, two Aeroglide tower dryers with 50MT/hr continuous drying capability, 7000MT bulk storage capacity.

Mill

PLC controlled 5MT Satake Paddy Mill coupled with a Satake Polishing Plant. These are all supported by ancillary equipment in the form of scales, conveyors, elevators and aspiration system.

Parboiled Rice Milling

The recent acquisition and installation of two new water mist polishers from Satake of Japan, the world's leading rice equipment manufacturer, for the parboiled rice processing facility at Wrightson Road is one of many measures being adopted by NFM to update its inventory and keep it current with international milling standards. The Satake KB40G-T mist polishers put less pressure on the grain as a result of its longer milling chamber. This results in an aesthetically better product, a longer shelf life and a generally superior product.

Polishing, however, is just one of the stages of the milling process used to make NFM's Lotus brand of parboiled rice the preferred choice in all good rice dishes.

NFM imports from the USA, Uruguay and Guyana "cargo" or "brown" rice which is covered with bran. This is stored in silos and transferred to the plants. Using conveyors and blowers, the imported rice is then pneumatically transferred to the unpolished rice holding bin where it is weighed and passed through a screening machine to remove unwanted items such as sticks, stones, barley and corn.

The cargo rice then goes through a 3 pass milling system to remove the bran and polish the grain. The first two passes are abrasive/friction polishers which remove the bran and start the polishing process using friction whereby the grains rub against each other. The third pass is the friction/mist polisher, the latest technology in rice polishing, as referenced earlier. Careful attention is given to handling of the grain in order to maintain its integrity and prevent breakage. The Satake rice polishers use humidity-controlled air to produce a smooth, polished surface on the milled rice kernel, which is a deterrent to micro-organisms, allowing the finished products to have a longer shelf life whilst maintaining its integrity.

The rice grains are then sorted by three 2.5 ton capacity sortex machines which separates dark and/or amber grains from normal coloured ones. Further sifting in Rotex screening machines remove those grains which are bigger or smaller than normal and the finished rice is placed in bulk storage bins before proceeding to the packaging lines.

Laboratory testing is undertaken to verify that the product remains within established quality parameters, for example, with respect to broken bits and odour. The plant operates on a 24 hour basis, 5 days per week and efficiencies are maximised such that the bran and peck rice which is removed is processed into animal feed. At maximum capacity, up to 6.0 tons per hour of rice can be polished.

As owners of the first mill in the Caribbean to utilize Satake's mist polishing technology, NFM is leading the region in superior rice production.