Centrale Laitiere earned a 349 million euros in sales, in 2004

The Casablanca-based Centrale Laitiere earned in sales MAD 3.495 billion, about 349 million euros, in 2004, which is a 9 percent rise compared to the company's 2003 turnover of MAD 3.2 billion.

President of the milk processing and distribution company, Driss Bencheikh said the turnover rise was in part due to its fresh milk processing output that went up 12 percent enabled by many innovations the company introduced and in spite of raw material price increase.

At a press briefing on the company's performance, Bencheikh said operating cost reached MAD 381 million, MAD 25 million less than the previous year.

The financial results decreased by MAD 17 million standing at MAD 38 million instead of MAD 55 million the previous year after the paying of dividends amounting to MAD 513 million and the decline in placement rates on the monetary market.

The results before taxation went up from MAD 415 million in 2003 to MAD 465 million in 2004 and net results also decreased 9 percent from MAD 315 million in 2003 to MAD 286 million in 2004.

The milk company plans for 2005 provide for quality improvement and diversification taking into account the current price rise trend of some of raw material.

Some 600 milk collecting units contributed to by more than 80,000 milk producers provide 1.4 billion litres of milk per year to milk distribution companies at the national level, including 400 million litres processed and sold by Centrale Laitiere.