(Ecofin Agency) - In Morocco, the company Habanos will set up a processing factory for cigarettes, cigars and other cigarillos in the Casablanca region. The infrastructure which will require an investment of 1 billion dirhams will create 600 jobs. In terms of production capacity, the factory which is scheduled to open next January, will produce 400 million packets of cigarettes in 2016 and 1.4 billion packets a year later states L'Economiste.

According to Moulay Omar Zehraoui, CEO of Habanos, this production will essentially supply sub-Saharan Africa. "Our production will be directed towards 80% export, essentially to sub-Saharan Africa. We are targeting notably Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Mali, Nigeria, where we will sell more than 40 million packets of cigarettes a day. The rest will be commercialised on the local market" claimed the Chief Executive.

With regard to its local market, Habanos ultimately aims to acquire 50% share. The group will import its tobacco from Brazil, Zimbabwe and the U.S.