What is Plantain Flour? Why Buy It?
Plantain Flour is a gluten-free, nutrient-rich flour made from dried and ground plantains (Musa paradisiaca). This versatile product is an excellent alternative to wheat flour, offering numerous health benefits, including being high in fiber, potassium, and resistant starch. Resistant starch aids in digestion, promotes gut health, and helps regulate blood sugar levels, making plantain flour an ideal choice for individuals with diabetes and those seeking healthier dietary options.
Unlike traditional wheat flour, Plantain Flour is naturally gluten-free, making it suitable for people with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. It is also a good source of essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and iron. Additionally, it contains low levels of fat and cholesterol, making it an excellent choice for those pursuing a balanced diet.
Economically, Plantain Flour is a cost-effective alternative to conventional flour, especially in regions where plantains are abundant. Its long shelf life and ease of storage contribute to its growing popularity in both local and international markets. With the rising global demand for gluten-free and nutrient-dense food products, Plantain Flour has established itself as a staple in health-conscious diets worldwide.
Applications/Uses of Plantain Flour
Plantain Flour serves a variety of purposes across multiple industries due to its excellent nutritional profile and functional properties. The primary applications of Plantain Flour include:
Food Industry
Baking & Cooking
- Used as a wheat flour substitute in baking, making bread, pancakes, cakes, muffins, and cookies.
- Adds a unique texture and mild flavor to gluten-free baked goods.
Thickening Agent
Works as a natural thickener for soups, stews, and sauces.
Traditional Meals
A staple ingredient in many African, Caribbean, and Latin American dishes such as “Amala” (a Nigerian delicacy) and “Fufu.”
Baby Food & Porridges
Ideal for infant nutrition due to its easy digestibility and high nutrient content.
Snack Production
Used in producing snack foods like plantain chips, crackers, and energy bars.
Health & Wellness Industry
Dietary Supplement
- Recommended for people on gluten-free, ketogenic, or paleo diets.
- Beneficial for weight management due to its high fiber and resistant starch content.
Diabetic-Friendly Food
Low glycemic index makes it suitable for individuals managing diabetes.
Animal Feed Industry
Used as an ingredient in livestock feed formulations, providing essential nutrients for animals.
Top Producing/Exporting Countries of Plantain Flour
Plantain Flour is predominantly produced in tropical regions where plantains thrive. The leading plantain-producing and exporting countries include:
Nigeria
Nigeria is the largest producer of plantains in Africa, contributing significantly to Plantain Flour production. The country’s vast agricultural sector supports the processing and exportation of Plantain Flour to international markets.
Ghana
Ghana is a major producer and exporter of Plantain Flour, with increasing demand from European and American markets. The government promotes value addition in agriculture, leading to a rise in plantain processing industries.
Colombia
Colombia is one of the largest plantain producers in South America. The country exports Plantain Flour primarily to North America and Europe.
Ecuador
Ecuador ranks among the top exporters of processed plantain products, including Plantain Flour. Its strategic location facilitates easy trade with the U.S. and other international markets.
Cameroon
Cameroon is an emerging player in Plantain Flour production, supplying regional and global markets. Government initiatives to boost agricultural processing have increased its export capacity.
Ivory Coast
A key producer of plantains, Ivory Coast processes Plantain Flour for both local consumption and export. The country supplies regional markets in West Africa and European importers.
Top Importing Countries of Plantain Flour
The demand for Plantain Flour has increased in global markets due to dietary shifts towards gluten-free and natural food alternatives. Some of the top importing countries include:
United States
A major importer due to the growing consumer interest in gluten-free and ethnic foods.
Plantain Flour is widely used in specialty health food stores and online marketplaces.
United Kingdom
The UK has a significant demand for Plantain Flour, particularly among African and Caribbean communities.
Health-conscious consumers are also driving demand for plant-based flour alternatives.
Canada
Imports large quantities of Plantain Flour, especially for use in ethnic and organic food markets.
The increasing popularity of gluten-free baking contributes to its high demand.
France
A key European importer due to its large West African and Caribbean immigrant population.
The organic food industry in France also incorporates Plantain Flour into specialty products.
Netherlands
The Netherlands serves as a major gateway for Plantain Flour distribution across Europe.
A strong demand exists within the African and health food sectors.
Germany
Imports Plantain Flour mainly for the growing gluten-free and health food industries.
German consumers seek natural and minimally processed food products.
United Arab Emirates
High demand in the UAE due to a large expatriate population from Africa and the Caribbean.
Supermarkets and specialty stores stock Plantain Flour for diverse culinary uses.
Brazil
A key importer in South America due to the widespread use of plantain-based products in local cuisine.
The country also utilizes Plantain Flour in the snack and bakery industries.
International Price of Plantain Flour Per Metric Ton
The unit price ($ per MT) of Plantain Flour in the international market depends on a host of different factors including:
- The grade of the produce (usually the more the processing, the higher the price)
- The price of the raw material
- Age of the seeds (this can affect the price)
- Production levels in producing countries
- Economic conditions and the exchange rates between the currencies of the producing and importing countries.
- The quantity ordered (the greater the quantity, the cheaper you can get it per ton)
- Harvest season (it is more costly when it is out of harvest season).
- Weather conditions (some commodities are sensitive to weather conditions).
- Freight & haulage cost
- Percentage of markup
- Import duties, trade tariffs and trade agreements between countries
- Distance from the country of origin
- Technology/Infrastructure available in country of origin
- Relationship between the buyer and seller
That said, as at March 2025, Plantain Flour costs between $800 and $3000 Per Metric Ton (1,000 kilograms) in the international market (i.e. $0.8/kg to $3/kg).
How To Safely Source for Your Plantain Flour Produce
If you find the right export company, buying directly from them can make the purchase process easy and stress-free, when compared with doing the sourcing on your own. That said, there are few things to note when dealing with an export company in Nigeria or Africa. The specific requirements for Nigeria are listed below, but they mostly apply to other African countries:
- The exporting company must be registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to make sure the company is registered and permitted to carry out business
- The export company must also be registered with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC).
- The company must possess a domiciliary account to accept international
The company should get all necessary export-related documentation done before the shipment leaves the port of origin. Some of the documents are:
- Certificate of origin
- Bill of lading
- Inspection Certificate (SGS, Cotecna, Bureau Veritas, Intertek, etc)
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Fumigation certificate
Where To Find Reliable Exporters
An important question that still needs to be answered is how to find Plantain Flour exporters in Nigeria. You can use any of the methods listed below:
- Attend trade fairs
- Use search engines like Google, Yahoo,
- Search for agents on Linkedln
- Sign up on trade platforms (e.g. Alibaba, Tradeford, Go4WorldBusiness)
- Neogric – Neogric is one of the reliable Plantain Flour exporters in Neogric is rated among the best in the exporting business in Nigeria. The company is not limited to the exportation of Plantain Flour alone but can export other agricultural produce ranging from perishables to dry seeds.
How To Pay For Your Plantain Flour Produce
You can pay for Plantain Flour using different methods, but three of the popular ways of paying for your agric produce are:
- Bank (T/T) Payment
- Advance Payment
- Letter of Credit (LC)
Bank Payment (T/T)
Bank payment is also known as T/T, “Telegraphic Transfer” or “Telex Transfer” In other words, it is an international wire of funds from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank.
A T/T is technically not the same as a wire transfer, which is often done through the SWIFT network. However, when a seller or supplier asks for a T/T payment, a wire transfer is what they are really asking for.
The wire transfer based on the SWIFT system is the most common payment method in international trade. Typically, it takes 1-5 working days to clear, and generally costs between 25 and 50 USD, depending on your agreement with the commercial department in your bank.
Advance Payment
There are sellers that will demand anywhere from 30% to 50% advance payment, and for good reason. If both parties have done deals in the past, sellers can ask for a percentage of the sales (about 30%) before they ship the produce and they can request for the remaining amount after a scanned copy of the Bill of Lading has been sent to the buyer.
It is the safest option for exporters and it also guarantees that they will have some funds to help with sourcing. It is popular among manufacturers on B2B marketplaces like Alibaba and also with commodity traders.
However, advance payment carries considerable risk for the importer (buyer) because the exporter (seller) might not be under as much pressure to ensure quality checks compared with a stricter form of payment. Some might even disappear entirely.
Having said that, advance payment is very useful and is widely used. For instance, the seller might need to secure the commodity in the face of increased competition. It can also be used when the exporter needs some money for sourcing the produce or for processing raw materials.
The most important thing is for both importer and exporter to build mutual trust by having a track record of successful deals with each other or other known companies.
Letter of Credit
Letter of Credit is an agreement generated by the bank of the buyer, guaranteeing payment once certain conditions are met. It is one of the safest types of payment available to both buyer and seller.
Some of the types of Letter of credit are:
- Commercial Letter of Credit,
- Sight Letter of Credit
- Transferrable or Non-Transferable Letter of Credit
- Standby Letter of Credit (SBLC)
- Usance or Deferred Payment Letter of Credit
- Revocable or Irrevocable Letter of Credit
- Confirmed or Unconfirmed Letter of Credit
- Revolving Letter of Credit
- Green Clause Letter of Credit
- Red Clause Letter of Credit
L/Cs are not totally safe (for either buyer or seller) too. For instance, sellers can ship substandard products or those that are different from the ones agreed upon. In this case, the seller gets paid and the buyer receives goods he cannot use.
And speaking of the dangers of L/Cs for the exporter, the conditions in the Letter of credit might be practically impossible to fulfil; if an exporter agrees to such, he might be unable to receive payment. A report stated that of the letters of credit received in the UK, 50% are unworkable while 70% are rejected by the banks for payment.
Shipping & Delivery Terms
When shipping your products, it is important to take note of a few factors:
Order Quantity
For smaller shipments, airfreight is often the preferred option but as the order volume increases, sea freight could become significantly cheaper. Usually when the order is close to a full container load (20 ft), sea freight is used. Although the Covid-19 pandemic caused an increase in cost of delivery of products, prices have stabilised.
Cost of Delivery
When the order is of a large volume, sea freight often turns out cheaper than air freight. In fact, air freight could be up to 6 times more costly than sea freight if the volume is large enough.
Time of Delivery
Sometimes, time will be more important to the buyer than the cost of delivering the product. In this case, air freight will be the logical option (as stated above, the cost will be more). But if you have more time as a buyer, you should strongly consider using sea freight.
Incoterms
Incoterms refer to generally accepted shipping and payments terms. For example, buyers that have representatives in the source country or that can negotiate with the freight company can use the Free of Board (FOB) terms, since it gives them more control and can save them some money.
However, if the shipment is small or the buyer doesn’t have an extensive network to effectively handle payment for freight, insurance and port charges, he will be better off choosing the Cost-Insurance-Freight (CIF) payment option.
Neogric: Top Exporters and Suppliers of Plantain Flour
We invite you to place your order for high-quality Plantain Flour with us at Neogric. We are a trusted global commodity sourcing and trade solution provider with deep expertise in the Plantain Flour industry. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, our wide range of products and technology powered, end-to-end supply chain make the export of quality Plantain Flour easy, quick and safe. Whichever region of the world you are, be it Europe, Asia, USA, Canada, Other North/Central American countries, Africa, South America or Oceania, you can reliably order your agricultural produce and we will ensure it is successfully delivered to you, on time.
Why Buy Plantain Flour From Neogric?
Choosing Neogric as your Plantain Flour supplier offers several advantages:
- Quality Assurance: We maintain strict quality control standards, ensuring our Plantain Flour and other products are of the highest quality.
- Wide Product Range: We offer a diverse selection of products, catering to various
- Reliable Supply Chain: Our efficient technology-powered end-to-end supply chain ensures timely delivery of your orders.
- Expertise and Support: Our team of experts provides valuable insights and support, making your purchasing process smooth and hassle-free.
Our Plantain Flour Trade Specifications
- Origin: Nigeria
- Product Name: Plantain Flour
- Physical Specification: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Quantity: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- MOQ: 10 Metric Tonnes
- Trade Process: Ex Works/FOB/CIF
- Admixture/Impurities: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Inspection: SGS/Cotecna/Intertek/Bureau Veritas
- Packaging: Based On Buyer’s Specification
- Payment Method: TT (Bank Transfer) or L/C
- Shipping Time: 15 to 25 Days After Confirmation of TT or L/C
- Loading Port: Lagos (Nigeria), Abidjan (Cote D’ivoire) or Tema (Ghana)
Expected Shipping Documents
- Bill of Lading
- Certificate of Origin
- SGS Inspection Certificate
- Phytosanitary Certificate
- Fumigation Certificate
- Commercial Invoice
- Packing List
Place Your Plantain Flour Order With Neogric
Contact us today to place your order for high-quality Plantain Flour. Our team is ready to assist you with all your procurement needs.
- Tel: +2348147860157
- Email: neo@neogric.com
- WhatsApp: Chat With Us
