A teff grass hammer mill in Ethiopia was the solution for a dairy cooperative near Debre Zeit that was struggling to utilize the massive amount of teff straw left after harvest. Ethiopia is the center of origin for teff (Eragrostis tef), the country's staple grain.
A teff grass hammer mill in Ethiopia was the solution for a dairy cooperative near Debre Zeit that was struggling to utilize the massive amount of teff straw left after harvest. Ethiopia is the center of origin for teff (Eragrostis tef), the country's staple grain.
About 3 million hectares of teff are planted annually, producing roughly 5 million tons of straw. Most of this straw is burned or used as low-value animal bedding. The cooperative we worked with has 250 dairy cows and wanted to turn teff straw into a valuable feed.
The challenge: teff has very fine stems, but the straw is often dusty and can be tough to grind consistently. The cooperative had been feeding long teff straw, but the cows would waste about 30% of it. They decided to buy a hammer mill to grind the straw into a uniform meal. Not a full production line – they already had a mixer for grain. They just needed the mill.
The cooperative manager contacted us after seeing an SFSP mill at a feed plant in Addis Ababa. He asked if our hammer mills could handle teff straw – which is fine-stemmed but can be dusty. We said yes, with a 4mm or 6mm screen for dairy cows. He ended up buying an SFSP66*60 hammer mill with a 55kW motor. He also ordered 4mm, 6mm, and 8mm screens.
Name:
teff grass hammer mill
Country:
Ethiopia
Date:
2025
Capacity:
1.0-1.4 tons per hour
Model:
SFSP66*60
Main Motor Power:
55kW
Raw Materials:
teff straw, wheat bran, noug cake
Final product size:
2mm and 8mm
The Ethiopian highlands around Debre Zeit are prime teff-growing country. The grain is harvested, and the straw is baled at 8-10% moisture – very dry due to the high altitude and sunny climate. Teff straw has fine stems but can be dusty, and it has moderate silica content.
The cooperative had been feeding long teff straw to their 250 Holstein-Friesian crossbred cows. The cows would eat the softer parts but waste the stems – about 30% of each bale. The manager calculated that he was losing 200 tons of feed per year.
He looked at a South African-made hammer mill offered by a dealer in Addis Ababa. The price was $12,000 for a 45kW machine. He looked at a Turkish mill – $10,500 for a 55kW machine. He found us through a reference from a dairy in Kenya. Our price, delivered to the port of Djibouti and then overland to Ethiopia, was $4,900 for the SFSP66*60 with 55kW motor. That included the mill, the cyclone, and the starter screen set.
The cooperative has a bale breaker for the teff straw bales. The broken material is fed into the mill by a belt conveyor. The grass crusher machine came with three screens. The manager tested all three on the teff straw (9% moisture):
The 6mm screen is the sweet spot for teff straw. The 8mm screen leaves some waste. The 4mm screen creates too much dust.
The mill discharges into a cyclone. The cyclone vent goes into a fabric filter bag. Teff straw produces moderate dust – less than rice straw but more than wheat. The bag captures about 90% of fine particles.
The cooperative produces a TMR for lactating cows:
The manager reported that feed waste has dropped from 30% to under 5%. The cows are producing 2 liters more milk per day on average.
The cooperative also sells ground teff straw to a mushroom farm in Addis Ababa for $50 per ton – the mushroom farm uses it as substrate.
We spoke with the cooperative manager about a year after delivery. Here is what he told us:
The mill runs about five hours per day, five days per week. We have put about 1,100 hours on it. We changed the hammers at 500 hours – flipped them to the unused side. The 6mm screen is still the original – no holes.
Teff straw grinds well. The 6mm screen is perfect for our cows. No waste. The milk production is up.
The only issue was the dust during the dry season. We added a second filter bag. That helped.
Would I buy from RICHI again? Yes. The mill has improved our feed efficiency.
Ethiopia is landlocked. The nearest seaport is Djibouti on the Gulf of Aden. The mill was shipped from Qingdao to Djibouti – about 28 days at sea. From Djibouti, the customer arranged truck transport to Debre Zeit, about 850 kilometers inland. Total transit time was about 45 days.
A few practical lessons from this installation:
Teff straw is very dry. Moisture is often 8-10%, which is ideal for grinding but creates more dust than higher-moisture hay.
The 6mm screen works well for dairy cows. The 8mm screen leaves waste. The 4mm screen creates too much dust.
Dust is moderate. A cyclone with a fabric filter bag is usually enough. In the dry season, a second bag helps.
Hammer wear is moderate. Teff straw has some silica but less than rice straw. The manager got 500 hours from the first hammer set.
This project in Ethiopia is one example. RICHI has exported hammer mills for teff straw and other fine-stemmed forages to over 80 countries. The SFSP66*60 teff grass hammer mill is a popular choice for dairies in East Africa because it can handle the dry, dusty teff straw effectively. The 6mm screen is a standard recommendation for dairy cows.
A few things to consider:
What screen size do your cows need? For lactating dairy cows, 6mm works well. For heifers, 6-8mm. For dry cows, 8mm.
What is your moisture? Teff straw is often very dry (8-12%). That is good for grinding but increases dust.
How will you handle the dust? A cyclone with a fabric filter bag is usually enough. In very dry conditions, a second bag helps.
What is your throughput requirement? The SFSP66*60 can handle 1.0-1.4 tons per hour on a 6mm screen.
Do you have a source of teff straw? Teff straw is abundant in Ethiopia. In other countries, it may be a specialty product.
If you have access to teff straw, a hammer mill with a 6mm screen can turn it into valuable dairy feed. Send us a sample of your teff straw. We will test it with different screens and send you the particle size analysis. You can see the results before you decide. RICHI Machinery has exported hammer mills for forage processing to over 80 countries worldwide.
Having the right mix of reliable, high-quality pellet machine and pelletizing systems and expert support is essential to your success. Watch how our end-to-end feed pellet plant solutions have helped our customers optimize their performance.
Our customized and future-proofed turnkey pellet plant solutions is designed with you at the core. From vision to reality and beyond, our team stays connected with yours. Giving you peace-of-mind with an expert at your side.
At RICHI, we go beyond project completion. With RICHI Servicee, we’re your dedicated partners in success. Count on us for expert guidance, minimal downtime, and optimized productivity. Choose RICHI for unmatched service and support.
Meet global product demands and quality standards with industry-leading pellet plant design, engineering, equipment, and construction services for pellet processors.
Your Partner Beyond Project Completion
2000+ cases
RICHI is the leading designer, manufacturer and builder of pellet plants in the world, completing over 2000 projects in 140 countries across 6 continents.
Read More
Increase plant productivity, profitability, and safety by integrating high quality equipment into your pellet production line. Over the years, RICHI has become China's top pellet equipment manufacturer. At the same time, RICHI has established valuable partnerships with the world's leading component and raw material manufacturers to bring you the best there is in technology, automation, and efficiency in pelleting plant machinery.
For nearly 30 years, RICHI has been providing best-in-class pellet plant equipment and services to clients across a variety of industries, sizes, and needs. We pride ourselves on the knowledge and skill that each team member possesses – from our technical sales team to our process design engineers. You can count on RICHI Machinery to take your operation to the next level of innovation, quality, and success.
Need help with your pellet manufacturing plant project? Contact us today.
ANIMAL FEED
BIOMASS
WOOD
ORGANIC FERTILIZER
AQUA FEED
CAT LITTER
MUNICIPAL WASTE RECYCLING
SPECIAL PELLET PRODUCTION
RICHI Machinery continues to deliver world class pellet mill equipment, pellet plant engineering and project solutions that add value to our customers in the animal feed, wood waste, agriculture waste, organic fertilizer, cat litter and special pellet products industries. Throughout the years, we RICHI Machinery have built strong brand, becoming industry-leading pellet machine manufacturer. We value integrity, promise quality, and prioritize your success.
Learn MoreWith our expert team, we precisely implement your process engineering requirements in pellet mill and pelletizing plant systems. No matter which industry you’re in – we understand your needs and deliver solutions that meet the highest standards.
At RICHI, quality comes first. Our pellet making machine and related pellet line equipment undergo rigorous quality controls to ensure they meet the highest standards. Rely on products that are durable, safe, and efficient.
With decades of experience in pellet machine and pellet production line production, we have earned a reputation as a trusted partner in various industries. Our expertise allows us to cover a wide range of applications.
Not only do we offer premium pelleting equipment, but we are also experts at designing, building, installing, and maintaining facilities from the ground up. Our expertise is within pellt plant process design, discovering the most efficient, productive, and profitable way to handle your materials in an end-to-end cycle.
○ RICHI MACHINERY
Keeping in touch with us is an effective way to solve all your problems. If you have any needs or questions, please leave your contact information, then RICHI technical consultants will send design, quotation, videos to your mailbox. You can also contact us directly via WhatsApp: +86 13838389622
Copyright©2015-2026 by HENAN RICHI MACHINERY CO., LTD. All rights reserved.