Azura unveils the inner workings of its agricultural empire in Morocco: 24 farms and 500 hectares of tomatoes

Published on September 2 by GroentenNieuws.nl, the report details the organization of the Franco-Moroccan group across its farms, packaging operations and the marketing of its produce. In the area around Agadir covered by the report, 500 of the 600 cultivated hectares are devoted to tomatoes.

The produce is then transported to Azura’s commercial and logistics platform in Perpignan, in southern France. From there, the products are distributed notably to France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland.

Pierre Boniol, Azura’s chief executive officer, told the Dutch publication that France remains the group’s main market, but that its share of sales has declined compared with previous years.

Azura now exceeds 1,200 hectares in Morocco

However, the figures in the report do not cover all of Azura’s current activities in Morocco. The group now says it operates 55 farms and more than 1,200 hectares of crops, notably in the regions of Agadir and Dakhla.

For its cherry tomato business alone, Azura claims 53 production farms and more than 1,200 hectares of greenhouses. Some 188,000 tonnes of cherry tomatoes are sold each year in Europe.

Founded in 1988 with a first production unit in Agadir, Azura now employs approximately 21,000 people across the two continents and reports revenue of 560 million euros. The group controls the entire chain, from production in Morocco to packaging in Agadir and distribution from its Perpignan platform.