Ukrainian buckwheat processor to launch new steam-treated groats line near Kyiv
Ukrainian food processing company Groceries Factory, which operates under the Zhmenka brand, plans to complete and launch a new production line for steam-treated buckwheat groats at its facility in Kyiv region. The announcement was made by plant manager Oleh Kovmir during the “AgroTour: Processing on the Move” initiative, according to Elevatorist.com.
The equipment has already been purchased and partially installed.
“The new facility is halfway complete. It even operated briefly before, producing green buckwheat groats. But we later decided to switch to steam-treated buckwheat, which has higher market demand,” Kovmir explained.
The new line will have a daily capacity of 30 tons and will be operated by 3 to 4 workers.
The Factory also plans to build a steam power unit — a boiler house — to supply steam for the new production facilities.
The company had previously considered building a grain elevator with a capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 tons for raw material storage. However, it ultimately abandoned this idea to avoid turning the plant into a grain warehouse. Instead, the team assembled and installed their own storage containers to meet current production needs. The current raw material storage capacity stands at 600 tons.
The facility currently processes buckwheat and millet, and plans to add peas, wheat, and barley in the future. As a result, storage capacity will be increased over time.