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MORINGANEWS

This document was produced with the financial assistance of CTA. The ideas expressed in it are those

of the authors and cannot be considered as the opinion of CTA.

Economic sheet on production of Moringa leaf powder

Case in Togo: Monocropping of Moringa by farmers and leaf processing by women.Kokou Ametepe Sogbo (APPEF), Baptiste Dolidon et Armelle de Saint Sauveur (Moringanews)

! "osts o# trans#orming leaves into powder

• Pro$ess o# making powder % as soon as possible a#ter t&e &arvest (t&e same da') t&e leaves are laid out to dr' in t&e

dr'ing works&op

% da's a#ter t&e #olioles are separated #rom t&e petioles and set ba$k out to dr'

% a#ter * to + da's o# additional dr'ing, t&e women $olle$t t&e dried leaves #rom t&e works&op

and pound it in mortars

% t&e powder is t&en sieved

% a#ter sieving, t&e powder is pa$kaged in transparent plasti$ bags $losed wit& a knot!

• ransport

-&atever t&e produ$tion, it re.uires between a &al# and a #ull da' to transport t&e $rop o# #res& leaves #rom t&e #ield to t&e drier! Ea$& &arvest $an be transported in one trip! &e $osts

 below $an also be $onsidered #or // kg o# #res& leaves!

Table 1: Cost of transporting fresh leaves from the place of culture to the drying/transformation area.

Place of culture armers!istance to the

drier "in #m$

Cost of a trip "in C%$

mer$&andise person total

$&ekpoAssinou 01iamad2ro

3 // // &''

Esse $&atte 4 *// 5 +// +4/ ()' * +)'

 6agali 7A8" // *// )''

Dogli 3 // // &''

Amado 9 // // &''

• rans#ormation o# dried leaves into powder and pa$kaging

&e dr'ing o# // kg o# #res& leaves in t&e drier re.uires between : and / &ours o# work,

 breaking down as #ollows;

% &ours #or + women, or : &ours to load t&e drier and spread t&e leaves

% : &ours to plu$k t&e leaves a#ter two da's dr'ing

% less t&an one &our #or + women, or + &ours, to take out t&e dried leaves at t&e end o# t&e

dr'ing pro$ess!

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Table ,: -ield of transformation of fresh Moringa oleifera leaves into powder and wor# time.

-eig&t o# 

#res&leaves (in

kg)

ransport

time (in&ours)

-ork timere.uired

#or dr'ing(in women

&ours)

-eig&t o# 

 powder (in kg)

-ork timere.uired #or 

 pounding(in woman

&ours)

-ork time re.uired #or  pa$kaging (in women

&ours)otal work 

time (inwomenda's)

B' kg bag

B' //gramme

 bags// + : 5 / ,+ 9,4 4 9 5 < +,4 5 4,4

9 + <,< + * / +

4,4 + % ,3* % % %

 6ote; &is data $omes #rom readings taken at one time in a bat$& o# 9 kg o# #res& leaves, t&e work #or$e wasmade up o# + women #or ea$& o# t&e stages (e=$ept #or t&e transport)!

>ne woman w&o pounds t&e dried leaves produ$es !3* kg o# powder?&our!

&e work time re.uired #or pa$kaging depends on t&e si2e o# t&e bags used; pa$kaging in

small bags re.uires mu$& more time!

&e total work time re.uired #or trans#ormation a$tivities is between +!4 and 4!4 women da's

#or // kg o# #res& leaves (or !+ kg o# powder)!

&e time re.uired #or trans#ormation and pa$kaging o# a kilogramme o# powder $an be

estimated at *!* women &ours o# work (4 da's = : &ours ? !+)!

! Destination o# leaves and selling pri$e

• Sale o# #res& leaves

>n rural markets, a #ist#ul o# #res& leaves is sold #or 4F "FA like ot&er vegetable leaves!

Moringa is in t&e same pri$e range as ot&er leaves #or $ooking sold in ogo, or an average </

F"FA?kg!

-&olesale bu'ers $ome #rom @om to bu' #res& leaves #rom produ$ers! &e average pri$e #or 

t&e moment is around </ F"FA?kg #or t&e pur$&ase o# a $omplete &arvest beside t&e #ield!

• Sale o# powdered leaves

&e &ospital at abligbo is beginning to bu' dried lea# powder #or a pri$e o# 4// F"FA?kg!

&e &ospital t&en sells t&e powder to patients in small bags (4/ F"FA?//g, or #or 4g

$onsumed per da', 9 F"FA?week, or /!+/?week)!

Private individuals also bu' t&e powder #rom APPEF #or ///F"FA?kg! &is pri$e wasre$entl' in$reased to 4// F"FA?kg!

*! Pro#its #rom t&e sale o# powdered leaves b' APPEF

7iven t&e var'ing 'ields depending on t&e plot, we &ave assumed several produ$tion

&'pot&eses per &e$tare! Produ$tion s&ould in$rease in t&e se$ond 'ear, a$$ording to data

$olle$ted in ot&er $ountries!

&e $osts not paid #or b' t&e produ$ers are t&e bu'ing o# seed (donated as part o# t&e proCe$t)

and $onstru$tion o# t&e dr'ing s&elter (subsid' o# *// and $ontribution in kind #rom APPEF

#or some o# t&e work and wood)!

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&e $osts are taken #rom tables alread' presented (see produ$tion o# #res& leaves in ogo), #or 

// kg o# #res& leaves produ$ed!

Table &: Production and transformation costs for 1'' #g of fresh transformed leaves

"C%$

  -ear 1 -ear ,

-ield/ha "#g$ 4,/// :,/// +,/// :,/// 9,///

Plot installation

maintenance costs the 1st

year :,::3 4,449 *,<4

Maintenance costs in

subse0uent years   *,4// ,<4/

arvest cost 4+4 , 43/ 3/3 , 43/ <34

Transport costs 4// 4// 4// 4// 4//

Processing costs ,/// ,/// ,/// ,/// ,///

Pac#aging costs ,/// ,/// ,/// ,/// ,///

Total costs for 1'' #g of

fresh leaves processed in

1,.2 #g of powder 123&2 1'424 ()+2 +)3' 4'2)

Table 2: Profit per #ilo of powdered leaves produced

Total costs for 1 #g of

powder "table & /1,2$ 1,'2.&) +)+.)) 411.41 43,.(2 2+(.)'

Total labour costs for 1 #g of 

powder ,9+!/* ::!* 4<!3 94!+ ++<!:

Profit/#g from sale at 1'''

C%/#g 5,'2.&) 121.2) &++.&3 &'(.,4 )1,.)'

Profit/#g from sale 1)''

C%/#g ,3).4) 421.2) +++.&3 +'(.,4 1 '1,.)'

*

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Table ): Profit per hectare from the sale of powdered leaves

-ield of leaves/ha 4, /// :, /// +, /// :, /// 9, ///

-ield of powder/ha

"1,26$ 9/ 33 , <*9 33 , 3:+

Profit per ha from

sale at 1''' C%/#g

"profit/#g 7 -ield/ha$ %9,<// +/,*/ 9<+,+/ */+,:// ,/9,://

in 8 5 13&.1) 8 ,1&.3, 8 1 ',(.+( 8 242.44 8 1 ))'.1' 8

Profit per ha from

sale at 1)'' C%/#g :*, *// 9*9, */ , 4+, +/ ://, :// , //:, ://

in 8 ,(3.22 8 3('.'' 8 ,&)1.1& 8 1,,'.+1 8 &'4,.2' 8

9ales per ha from

sale of fresh leaves at

(' C%/#g *4/, /// 49/, /// 3:/, /// 49/, /// , /, ///

Production costs of

fresh leaves/ha 4<, <// 4<, 9:/ 4<, <9/ +/<, // +/<, //

Profit from sale of

fresh leaves beside

the field "C%$ 5,,1 ('' 511 4+' 2'+ ,2' 1), +'' (1, +''

in 8 5 &&(.3+ 8 5 1(.+1 8 4,,.&4 8 ,&,.32 8 1 '+4.44 8

Capital gain of

processing/ha from

sale at 1''' 34, /// 4, /// 99, /// 4, /// */+, ///

Capital gain of

processing/ha from

sale at 1)'' +/4, /// 9+:, /// , *+, /// 9+:, /// , 39, ///

2. Conclusions

&e produ$tion o# powdered Moringa leaves is ver' pro#itable in t&e APPEF%ogo

 proCe$t w&en selling #or 4// F"FA?kg, even wit& a relativel' low 'ield o# 4,///

kg?&a! Pro#its are &ig&er t&an in 6iger, w&i$& #armers in t&e region o# 6iame' alread'

$onsider ver' good!

"onversel', at /// F"FA?kg, t&e sale o# powder is onl' pro#itable wit& &ig& 'ields; at

least :,/// kg?&a, and better over /,/// kg?&a!

&e sale o# #res& leaves beside t&e #ield at </ F"FA?kg generates losses t&e #irst 'ear 

#or 'ields ranging #rom 4,/// to :/// kg?&a!

+

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-it& &ig& 'ields t&e #irst 'ear and as o# :,///kg?&a t&e se$ond 'ear, t&e sale o# #res&

leaves generates revenues! &e pro#its are $omparable to t&ose in 6iger #or a 'ield o# 

onl' 9,/// kg?&a ($ompared wit& +<,+// kg?&a in 6iger), be$ause produ$tion $osts

are lower (no pa$kaging or transport)!

&e $apital gain #rom trans#ormation is ver' interesting!

Produ$tion $osts primaril' $onsist o# labour $osts, and i# t&e #amil' works (w&i$& is

generall' t&e $ase), pro#its are greater t&an indi$ated in tables : and 3! So, one $an sa'

t&at t&e sale o# powdered leaves rewards t&e #amil's work and provides a pro#it!

Moringa produ$ers &ave several possible options #or selling;

Sale o# #res& leaves beside t&e #ield #or se$ond%'ear produ$ers or produ$ers wit& &ig&

'ields t&e #irst 'ear

Sale o# powdered leaves at ,4// F"FA?kg

Possible sale o# lea# powder at ,/// F"FA?kg #or an' e=$ess #or produ$ers wit& &ig&

'ields

&e $&oi$e o# trans#ormation depends largel' on t&e available labour, as t&at is t&e main $ost!

A #amil' w&i$& $an do t&e trans#ormation itsel# &as ever' interest to sell t&e powder, to $reate

$apital gain and #urt&er reward t&e #amil's work!!

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