Cosumar
Company Profile and History
The
company
was
created
in
1929
by
Saint
Louis
de
Marseille.
In
1967
the
government
took
a
50%
stake
in
the
company,
which
then
became
Cosumar.
The
ONA
Group
obtained
a
controlling
stake
in
1985.
In
addition
to
the
sugar
refinery
in
Casablanca,
Cosumar
owns
the
beet
sugar
factories
in
Zemamra
and
Sidi
Bennour
(Doukkala).
Until
2002,
Sidi
Bennour
exclusively
produced
raw
sugar
which
was
then
refined
into
white
sugar
in
the
Casablanca
factory.
Since
2002,
4,500
tons
of
beets
per
day
are
being
directly
processed
into
white
sugar
of
EC
2
standard
quality.
In
2005
Cosumar
acquired
four
public
sugar
companies:
Suta,
Sucrafor,
Surace
and
Sunabel.
Sunabel
is
a
major
food
company
in
the
region
of
Gharb-Loukkos.
Sunabel
has
three
manufacturing
units:
in
Ksar
El
Kebir
(established
1978),
Sidi
Allal
Tazi
and
Mechraa
Bel
Ksiri
(created
in
1968).
With
a
processing
capacity
of
13,000
MT
of
sugar
beet
per
day,
Sunabel
produces
sugar
granules
marketed
under
the
trademark
"El
Bellar,
pellets
and
molasses.
Surace
specialises
in
the
production
of
sugar
cane
and
has
a
capacity
of
processing
10,500
tons
of
cane
sugar
per
day.
Through
three
sites
(Bel
Mechraa
Ksiri,
Ksibia,
Laâouamra),
the
company
produces
granulated
sugar,
marketed
under
the
name
"Al
Kasbah".
Sucrafor,
created
in
1972,
is
the
only
candy
producer
in
the
Oriental
region.
It
has
a
3,000
T
beet
processing
capacity
per
day.
Suta
has
a
production
unit
in
Ouled
Ayad,
commissioned
in
1971.
Suta
produces
sugar
and
granulated
bullion,
marketed
under
"Palm",
and
by-products,
such
as
pellets
and
molasses.
In Country Location
8,
rue
Mouatamid
Ibnou
Abbad
BP
3098
Roches
Noires,
Casablanca,
Morocco;
Telephone:
+212-5-22678300
Telefax:
+212-5-22241071
Services and Products
The
Group's
principal
activity
is
to
extract
and
manufacture
sugar
in
various
forms.
Their
main
products
include
manufacturing
of
sugar
loaves,
bars,
sugar
pieces
and
granulated
sugar.
The
Group's
principal
clients
are
wholesale
dealers,
food
and
pharmaceutical
industry.
Their
products
are
distributed
throughout
Morocco
via
various
agencies
Number of Employees
2,571
people
Financial Information
Consolidated
turnover:
5.7
billion
dirhams;
2008
Sales:
5,698,700,000
billion
dirhams
(Year
Ending
Jan
2009);
Annual
production:
1,119,000
tons
of
sugar;
200,000
tons
of
molasses;
190,000
tons
of
pulp.
Market Share
Cosumar
is
the
leader
in
sugar
production,
import,
transformation,
branding
and
distribution.
The
overall
production
of
Cosumar
represents
70%
of
national
production.
Business Objective
“To
sustain
the
sugar
industry
and
ensure
performance
at
all
levels
of
the
value
chain”
Business Model
The
Moroccan
agriculture
plays
a
crucial
role
in
the
country's
economic
growth.
In
opting
for
the
modernization
of
the
sugar
industry,
the
Cosumar
Group
is
committed
to
making
the
sector
a
key
driver
of
growth
of
the
national
economy.
In
this
regard
the
company
committed
itself
to
the
deal
signed
in
2008
between
the
government
and
the
Moroccan
Federation
of
Sugar
Professionals
(FimaSucre)
for
a
"Green
Morocco”.
Amongst
others
the
"Green
Morocco”
project
aims
to
increase
the
production
of
sugar
to
657,000
tonnes
against
480,000
tonnes
currently,
in
2013.
In
terms
of
its
contribution
to
the
program,
Cosumar
plans
to:
improved
agricultural
performance
by
reducing
costs,
increasing
productivity
and
improving
the
technological
quality
of
sugar
crops;
increase
industrial
performance
through
improved
extraction
and
increasing
labour
productivity;
optimization
of
energy
and
logistics
costs
and
manufacturing;
improving
water
services
for
irrigation;
stepping
up
Research
&
Development;
and
improve
marketing
channels
and
distribution
of
sugar
products.
Following
the
acquisition
of
the
four
national
companies
in
2005,
Cosumar
established
a
program
called
"INDIMAGE
2012",
which
aims
to
upgrade
the
sugar
industry,
improve
agriculture
and
industrial
performance.
Interms
of
the
programme
sugar
yield
has
improved
by
over
20%
per
hectare;
the
mechanization
of
sugar
beet
cultivation
was
introduced;
drip
irrigation
to
save
water
was
introduced;
and
mechanized
planting
and
harvesting
was
started.
Cosumar
SA
has
also
completed
a
372
MDH
investment
programme
to:
continue
modernising
the
industrial
refinery
with
automated
manufacturing
and
packaging
of
loaves
of
sugar;
increase
production
efficiency
and
quality
of
finished
products;
and
improving
competitiveness
by
raising
the
performance
of
the
refinery
(extraction
efficiency,
fuel
consumption
and
water).
Its
R
&
D
division
plans
the
following:
strengthen
the
reputation
of
products
and
improve
their
image;
continually
developing
new
products
to
support
changed
consumer
expectations
for
quality
and
packaging;
improve
operational
performance
by
introducing
new
technologies;
and
identify
and
evaluate
external
growth
opportunities.
Ownership of Business
Cosumar:
55.5%
owned
by
ONA
Group
Benefits Offered and Relations with Government
Cosumar
has
signed
on
to
the
government’s
"Green
Morocco"
plan
which
aims
to:
ensure
food
security;
improving
farmers'
income;
protection
and
conservation
of
natural
resources;
and
the
domestic
and
International
integration
of
agriculture
The
market
freely
determines
commodity
prices
without
government
involvement
with
the
exception
of
staple
commodities
such
as
gasoline,
vegetable
oil,
sugar
and
subsidized
flour.
Morocco
protected
its
domestic
industry
with
a
bound
WTO
tariff
of
168
per
cent.
Product Development
Increase
production
capacity
of
sugar;
automating
the
manufacture
and
packaging
of
sugar
loaves;
increase
the
area
dedicated
to
sugar
plants;
1.6
billion
dirhams
will
be
spend
to
upgrade
sugar
processing
units;
2
billion
dirhams
for
the
extension
and
modernization
of
the
refinery
in
Casablanca.