Chickpeas are an important food crop, cultivated in many parts of the world. Originating in West Asia and the Near East, chickpeas are found in Mexico, one of the world’s major chickpea producers. Their cultivation is as follows:
Cultivation Areas: Chickpeas in Mexico are primarily grown in the states of Sinaloa, Sonora, and Baja California. The climate and soil conditions in these regions are suitable for chickpea growth, especially in the Sonora desert oases, where chickpea cultivation has developed rapidly due to the chickpea’s drought resistance. Michoacán state also ranks among the top chickpea producers in the country.
Cultivated Area and Yield: The total cultivated area of chickpeas in Mexico is approximately 91,953 hectares, with a yield of approximately 171,967.76 tons, averaging 1,870.2 kg/hectare. According to the 2020/2021 report, due to rising prices during the growing season and dry growing conditions, the chickpea planting area reached 55,500 hectares, a 19% increase from the previous year. However, due to lower yields caused by dry conditions, the output is estimated at 98,000 tons.
Variety: Mexico primarily grows the Dixi chickpea, which has angular, brown, thick-skinned beans and a relatively low price.
Exports: Domestic consumption of Capri chickpeas in Mexico is very low, with the majority of production exported. Turkey is the main export destination for Mexican Capri chickpeas, accounting for 26%, followed by Algeria at 20%, and Spain at 12%. Smaller quantities are also exported to countries such as Portugal, Italy, and the UAE.
The air-screen cleaner is the core equipment for cleaning chickpeas. It combines air separation and screening technologies to remove light impurities and impurities of all sizes from chickpeas in one pass, making it a highly efficient and widely used key step in the chickpea cleaning process.
I. Core Working Logic: “Remove Light Impurities First, Then Separate by Size” The air-screen cleaner’s cleaning process is divided into two steps: first, air separation removes light impurities, and then screening separates impurities of different sizes. These two processes work together to achieve efficient cleaning. The specific principle is as follows:
1. Air Separation: Removing “Light Impurities”
Air separation is based on “aerodynamic differences” and targets light impurities in chickpeas that are much smaller than the beans, such as dust, broken bean skins, shriveled debris, and weed seeds (lightweight).
Operating Method: The equipment has a built-in fan that generates a stable and controllable airflow (positive pressure blowing or negative pressure suction). The airflow direction is at a certain angle to the direction in which the chickpeas fall.
2. Screening Stage: Separating “Impurities of Different Sizes”
Screening is based on “particle size differences.” Impurities that do not match the size of the chickpeas are categorized into “large impurities” (such as small stones, intact weed stems, and clumps of soil) and “small impurities” (such as fine sand, broken beans, and small shriveled beans). The core component is a multi-layer vibrating screen.
Operating Method: The equipment is equipped with double or triple-layer vibrating screens. The screen aperture is designed with a “larger at the top and smaller at the bottom” pattern, and the aperture matches the normal chickpea particle size (approximately 2-3 mm). The screen disperses and separates the material through high-frequency vibration.
Advantages of Chickpea Cleaning
Compared to single air-separation or screening equipment, air-screen cleaners offer three core advantages when processing chickpeas:
High Cleaning Efficiency: Removes both light and large impurities in a single pass, eliminating the need for multiple processes with separate equipment. A single unit can process 5-20 tons per hour, catering to the diverse needs of farms from small to medium-sized to large processing plants.
Significantly Improved Purity: Reduces the initial impurity rate of chickpeas (typically 5%-10%) to below 0.5%, achieving a purity of over 99.5%, meeting the quality requirements for food processing (such as hummus and canned goods) or seed-grade chickpeas.
Minimal Damage to Chickpeas: The amplitude and frequency of the vibrating screen are adjustable, preventing breakage due to violent vibration. Simultaneously, the gentle airflow of the air separator prevents the removal of healthy chickpeas, keeping the bud loss rate below 0.2%.
Post time: Nov-04-2025
