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Roots and processed foods

This category serves the United Kingdom diaspora retail trade and the growing set of mainstream retailers stocking West African staples. Order sizes are smaller, turnover is faster, and labelling is the thing that most often stops a shipment at the border. Get the label right before the first order rather than after it.

Roots and processed foods
Peak seasonAvailableOut of season

Products in this category

Garri

Garri

Nigeria, Ghana

White and yellow. Moisture control decides shelf life, so ask what the producer measures and how often.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Cassava flour

Cassava flour

Nigeria, Ghana

Includes fufu and pounded yam style flours. Growing mainstream demand as a gluten free ingredient.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Yam

Yam

Nigeria, Ghana

Puna yam ships from about September through the winter. Handling and packing decide how much arrives saleable.

Traded in
Carton or crate
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Yam flour

Yam flour

Nigeria

Elubo. Milled and packed at origin, available year round from stock.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Plantain flour

Plantain flour

Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda

Unripe plantain, milled. Packaging quality varies widely between producers, so ask for physical samples.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Potato

Potato

Nigeria

Irish and sweet potato from the Plateau highlands. Main crop from August, with a smaller second window in spring.

Traded in
Bag or crate
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Cassava

Cassava

Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d Ivoire, Mozambique, Tanzania

Fresh root, dried chips, flour or starch. Specify the form, moisture below 12 to 14 percent for chips, cyanide safety thresholds, and mesh size for flour.

Traded in
Metric tonne
Typical minimum order
20 to 25 tonnes of dried chips, one 20 ft container
Sweet potato

Sweet potato

Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya

Specify flesh colour, orange, white or purple, the curing state, root calibration by weight, and Brix level for sweetness.

Traded in
Metric tonne
Typical minimum order
20 tonnes, one 40 ft reefer container
Cocoyam

Cocoyam

Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Madagascar

Taro and cocoyam. Specify corm size, cormel count, moisture level, and whether the crop is washed or dry brushed.

Traded in
Metric tonne
Typical minimum order
5 to 10 tonnes
Fluted pumpkin seed

Fluted pumpkin seed

Nigeria, Ghana

Dried ugu seed. Specify shelled or in shell, dryness, and freedom from mould.

Traded in
Metric tonne
Typical minimum order
5 tonnes of dried seed
White garri

White garri

Nigeria, Ghana

Fine grained sour variety. Specify grain size, sourness, moisture and pack format. Ijebu garri commands a premium in diaspora retail.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Yellow garri

Yellow garri

Nigeria, Ghana

Fried with palm oil, giving the colour. Specify oil content, grain size and moisture.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Red garri

Red garri

Nigeria

Heavier palm oil content than yellow garri. Specify grain size, oil content and shelf life remaining on arrival.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Pounded yam flour

Pounded yam flour

Nigeria

Instant yam flour. Specify pack size, particle fineness, and United Kingdom compliant labelling including allergens.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Semolina

Semolina

Nigeria

Durum wheat semolina for swallow preparation. Specify granulation, protein content and pack size. Sold under the generic name rather than any brand.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Tapioca

Tapioca

Nigeria

Dried cassava flakes and strips. Specify whether flake or shredded strip, moisture and pack format.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Fufu flour

Fufu flour

Nigeria, Ghana

Fermented cassava flour. Specify fermentation level, odour control in packaging and shelf life.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Ogi

Ogi

Nigeria

Fermented maize or millet starch. Specify base grain, whether wet or dried, and shelf life on arrival.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Cocoyam flour

Cocoyam flour

Nigeria, Ghana

Milled and dried cocoyam. Specify particle size, moisture and pack format.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Chin chin

Chin chin

Nigeria, Ghana

Fried wheat snack. Specify pack size, shelf life, allergen declaration and whether own label packing is available.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Plantain chips

Plantain chips

Nigeria, Ghana

Specify sweet or savoury, thickness, oil used for frying and United Kingdom compliant labelling.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet
Kuli kuli

Kuli kuli

Nigeria

Groundnut cake snack. Specify aflatoxin testing, oil content and pack format.

Traded in
Carton
Typical minimum order
One pallet

What to specify when you enquire

A supplier can only price what you have described. The more of this you put in the first message, the faster a usable quotation comes back.

  • Retail pack size and case configuration
  • Moisture content and shelf life remaining on arrival
  • United Kingdom compliant labelling, including allergens and nutrition
  • Barcode, and whether own label is possible
  • Whether the producer holds a recognised food safety certification

Tell us what you need to source

Describe the product, the volume and roughly when you need it. We will come back with the suppliers we can put in front of you and what they can commit to.

What you are looking for

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