1.1 INTRODUCTION

The production of flour for bread, cake, and the backed food mainly from wheat which is the major materials used by the miller. Wheat is  the most important and widely cultivated of the world’s main cereal crop. It is grown in every climate from cold regions like USA, Canada, Russia etc and extreme heat region like India.

In characteristics the wheat may be regarded as hard or soft, strong or weak and to the miller of baker its most important qualities are its strength, colour, flavor and of cause the amount of flour it will yield (Milling Journal 1997).

Wheat is grain like other grains e.g rice, millet, maize etc. the purpose of milling endosperm gradually into flour with minimum or no contamination of the brain, which is the wheat cover.

Dangote flour mill Ilorin is making used of hard red winter (H.R.W) wheat called friticum gestium which is the botanical name for it, to produce its product like bread, flour, Danvita (semolina) and brain.

Shortage of cassava flour coupled with surging wheat prices at the world market are adversely affecting the operations of flour milling companies in the country. In the flour mills industry almost 90% of the raw materials are imported because Nigeria’s climate is not viable for the production of wheat. There for rising price of wheat is therefore a major challenges begin faced in the industry as a ton of wheat is currently priced at between $180 and $240  

1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to carry out a research work in order:

i. To know relationship that exists between the flour production and sales

ii. To determine the strength of their relationships

iii. To know the effectiveness of statistical tool used for the analysis of data

iv. To know whether there is occurrence of significant difference between production X and sales Y

1.3 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

One of the major defects in flour production in Nigeria is unavailability of raw-materials as a local content (not grown locally) and the cost involved in the importation of cereal (wheat) from other part of the country.

Moreso, high cost of machine spare parts as well as power, coupled with the problems of distribution of products encountered by sales the department and the problem of bad road, are some of the major problem affecting the distribution and sales of flour.

1.4 STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS 

1. There is relationship between the sales and production of flour at Dangote flour mile

2. To test whether the production of flour is independent of time

Alternative Hypothesis: To test whether the production of flour is dependent of time

3. Null hypothesis: To test whether the sales of flour is independent of time

Alternative Hypothesis: To test whether the sales of flour is dependent of time

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

Data used for this project work is mainly secondary data. Extracted from production and sales Department Dangote flour mill, Ilorin for the period of (2005-2010).

The data covers only one month, partly because it refers to daily occurrence and partly because of some other condition which include:

i. Time consumed to visit Dangote flour mill for the extraction of facts. It took series of appointment in consulting one department to others. At end little data was released.

ii. Re-booking of appointment: Due to assignment lectures and other academic activities sometimes miss the appointing time therefore, I need to re-book another day of appointment.

iii. The general problem of not wanting to release data.

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

WHEAT – A genetic term applied to wheat, which is due to variety of characteristics.

TEMPERING – A process less elaborate conditioning which produce desired physical champ in wheat by means of (10 water addition and two (2) time for penetration).

GERM – The embryo extracted from the grain kernels (wheat)

FLOUR MILLING – Is a mechanical manufacturing process, which produces flour from wheat through comprehensive stage of fonding and separation

MIDDLING – Particles of endospermic which have been extracted from the bran as a break rolls which have get to be reduced to flour fineness.

IMPURITIES – Foreign materials in the wheat that is removed during process of cleaning.

DANVITA (Semolina) A course separation of endosperm extracted from wheat.

COMBI CLEANER – It is the combination of three-machine stronger, separator and the concentration.

FILTERS – It is the final means by which the finest particles are separated from the conveying air.

PACKING – It is the unit of bins which flour are stored before transfers to and packing bins from bagging out according to Gem.

ENDOSPERM –It is the part of the kernel that makes white flour