Overview
Comoros has no agri-food industry, the government estimates that about 90% of the products consumed by the population are imported.
Some wholesalers, often from the same family / community, have a monopoly on the import of food products. Cereals, legumes, fresh vegetables and live animals are imported from neighbouring countries such as Tanzania or Madagascar. For all other products (including ready-to-eat products), importers have commercial partnerships with mainly French purchasing centres.
The distribution of businesses is very inegalitarian according to districts / provinces, for example, supermarkets exist only in Moroni where there are two with around 10 mini-markets. Other major cities or provincial capitals have only family or street shops, and smaller towns have a few small shops with limited supplies.
Wheat flour and rice are the foods most consumed by the population. Since 1982, the state has created its own company (the National Office for the Importation and Marketing of Rice - ONICOR) with a monopoly on the importation and marketing of regular rice to avoid shortages and control the quality of the imported rice. ONICOR imports 60,000 MT of rice a year and has a 6-month safety stock spread over the 3 islands. Since 2018 the price is fixed at KMF 400 / kg.
Regarding the meat, the Chamber of Commerce estimates that the few Comorian breeders are barely able to produce 10% of the meat consumed in the country. Cattle, sheep and goats arrive alive by boat from Tanzania and Madagascar but do not represent the majority of meat consumed that arrives frozen from other foreign countries such as France or United Arab Emirates.
Fishing has an important place in the diet of most Comorians, but also economically, it is estimated that almost a fifth of the population depend largely on its economic income.
Vegetables are produced unevenly on the territory, Anjouan is by far the region that produces the most but is not able to cover the needs of the three islands, which mainly imports from Madagascar. The main food crops are: banana, cassava (tubers and leaves), sweet potato, taro, potato, legumes, maize and coconuts.
For more information on food supplier contact details, please see the following link: 4.10 Supplier Contact List.
Retail Sector
The distribution sector is underdeveloped, no global or regional distributor is represented. Some families share the market by importing manufactured products from French purchasing centres.
Wholesalers are also retailers because they have chains of super & mini markets.
|
Types of Retailers Available |
|
|---|---|
|
Type of Retailer |
Rank (1-5) |
|
Supermarket – concentrates mainly in supplying a range of food, beverage, cleaning and sanitation products; have significant purchasing power; are often part of national/regional/global chains. |
3 (only Moroni) |
|
Convenience Store/Mini Market – medium sized shop; offers a more limited range of products than supermarkets; usually has good/stable purchasing power; may be part of chain or cooperative. |
4 (only Moroni) |
|
Permanent shop with strong supply capacity – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; good storage and reliable supply options. |
5 (only in capitals of provinces and cities of more than 5000 inhabitants) |
|
Permanent shop with limited supply capacity – individually/family owned store; offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; limited storage and unstable supply options. |
2 (present everywhere) |
|
Mobile Shop/Market Stand – individually/family owned store; usually offers fewer commodities and a limited selection of brands; may be found at outdoor markets, camps or unstable environments. |
1 (present everywhere) |
Wholesale – AGK
The largest supplier of food and general merchandise to the island, the AGK Group is also the largest exporter of Comoros including vanilla, clove and ylang-ylang.
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Supplier Overview |
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|---|---|
|
Company Name |
AGK |
|
Address |
Moroni |
|
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity? |
Yes, but only for cash crops (cloves, vanilla, ylang-ylang) |
|
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity? |
Yes, there are supermarkets |
|
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity? |
Yes |
|
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities? |
Yes |
|
Approximate Turnover in MT |
N/A |
|
Payment Methods Accepted |
Cash, checks, bank transfers |
|
Other Comments or Key Information |
AGK |
|
Other Locations |
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|---|---|
|
Region(s) |
Service Location(s) |
|
None |
None |
Wholesale – SAWA Prix
Company importing food and general supplies with supermarkets.
|
Supplier Overview |
|
|---|---|
|
Company Name |
SAWA Prix |
|
Address |
Moroni |
|
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity? |
No |
|
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity? |
Yes, supermarkets |
|
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity? |
Yes |
|
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities? |
Yes |
|
Approximate Turnover in MT |
N/A |
|
Payment Methods Accepted |
Cash, checks, bank transfers |
|
Other Locations |
|
|---|---|
|
Region(s) |
Service Location(s) |
|
None |
None |
Wholesale - Komo Cash
Company importing food and general supplies with supermarkets.
|
Supplier Overview |
|
|---|---|
|
Company Name |
Komo Cash |
|
Address |
Moroni |
|
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity? |
No |
|
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity? |
Yes, supermarkets |
|
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity? |
Yes |
|
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities? |
Yes |
|
Approximate Turnover in MT |
N/A |
|
Payment Methods Accepted |
Cash, checks, bank transfers |
|
Other Locations |
|
|---|---|
|
Region(s) |
Service Location(s) |
|
None |
None |
Wholesale – SARA Market SARL
Company importing food and general supplies with supermarkets.
|
Supplier Overview |
|
|---|---|
|
Company Name |
SARA Market SARL |
|
Address |
Moroni |
|
Does the supplier have its own production / manufacturing capacity? |
No |
|
Does the supplier have its own retail capacity? |
Yes, supermarkets |
|
Does the supplier have its own transport capacity? |
Yes |
|
Does the supplier have its own storage facilities? |
Yes |
|
Approximate Turnover in MT |
N/A |
|
Payment Methods Accepted |
Cash, checks, bank transfers |
|
Other Locations |
|
|---|---|
|
Region(s) |
Service Location(s) |
|
None |
None |
|
Primary Goods / Commodities Available |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Commodities by Type** (SITC Rev 4 Division Code - Title) |
Comments |
|
|
00 - Live animals (other than fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.) |
i.e. sheep and goats, swine, and poultry |
99% imported from Madagascar or Tanzania |
|
01 - Meat and meat preparations |
i.e meat of bovine animals, meat of sheep, dried or smoked meat of swine, and sausages |
100% imported from France |
|
02 - Dairy products and birds’ eggs |
i.e. milk, yogurt, butter, cheese, and eggs |
99% imported from France |
|
03 - Fish (not marine mammals), crustaceans, molluscs… |
i.e. fish (chilled or frozen), fish (salted or in brine), fish liver, and roes |
80% local fishing Some other manufactured products are imported. |
|
04 - Cereals and cereal preparations |
i.e. wheat, rice, flour of maize, and pasta |
Imported 100%, Asian provenances for rice, the rest from France |
|
05 - Vegetables and fruit |
i.e. vegetables, fruit and nuts, jams/jellies, and fruit juices |
Seasonal fruits produced locally respond to demand but vegetables are imported regionally from Madagascar and Tanzania. Juices and other manufactured products are imported from France. |
|
06 - Sugars, sugar preparations and honey |
i.e. sugars (beet or cane) raw, natural honey, fruit, and nuts preserved by sugar |
Only honey is produced locally but only meets part of the demand (approx. 80%), the rest is imported. |
|
07 - Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof |
i.e. coffee, cocoa, chocolate, tea, mate, and pepper |
Only coffee is produced locally and responds to demand. The rest is mostly imported. |
|
09 - Miscellaneous edible products and preparations |
i.e. ready-to-eat foods, margarine, sauces, soups and broths, and yeasts |
100% imported regional / international |
|
41 - Animal oils and fats |
i.e. lard, fats, and oils |
100% imported regional / international |
|
42/43 - Fixed vegetable fats and oils, crude, refined or fractionated |
i.e. soya bean oil, olive oil, maize oil, and vegetable oil |
100% imported regional / international |
**For non-food products please see section 3.5.2 Additional Suppliers, and for FUEL/PETROLEUM products please see section 3.1 Fuel.
Disclaimer: Inclusion of company information in the LCA does not imply any business relationship between the supplier and WFP / Logistics Cluster, and is used solely as a determinant of services, and capacities.
Please note: WFP / Logistics Cluster maintain complete impartiality and are not in a position to endorse, comment on any company's suitability as a reputable service provider.
