Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d’Anacarde

What Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d’Anacarde does

Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d'Anacarde (SITA SA) is a vertically integrated cashew processing company headquartered in Odienné, northern Côte d'Ivoire, with a commercial office in Abidjan and a US roasting subsidiary (SITA Kernels LLC) in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Founded in 1980 by Massogbè Touré, SITA built Côte d'Ivoire's and West Africa's first industrial cashew processing factory in 2000 and operates a processing capacity of 15,000 tonnes per year (20,000 tonnes installed) of raw cashew nuts. The company holds HACCP, HALAL, KOSHER, and FDA certifications, supports a 150,000+ hectare plantation base developed from 120 hectares in 1980, and produces a full grade range of white and scorched cashew kernels (WW210, WW240, WW320, WW450, SW240, SW320, SWP, SK, SK320, LWP, LP, BB, FS, SP).

SITA operates two complementary revenue streams. The bulk export business sells graded white and scorched cashew kernels to international wholesale buyers across Europe, the United States, and Asia, with US distribution executed through SITA Kernels LLC in partnership with Bluestar Direct LLC. The consumer-facing business markets roasted, flavored, and mixed nut products under the MIADI brand (including salted, Thai-spiced, smoked, sweet pepper, and mixed nut variants) and cashew paste under the DAGABA brand, distributed through Ivorian supermarket chains including Auchan, Casino, Hyper U, Prima Center, Cap Sud, and Sococe. Wholesale pricing is quote-based; retail products are sold in pack sizes from 100g to 450g at 2,000–7,000 CFA. Go-to-market combines participation in international trade shows (SIAL, SARA, SIETTA), a direct commercial team, the company's own e-commerce storefront, and domestic retail placement.

The group comprises 8 companies spanning cashew processing, rice transformation, hospitality, transport, and microfinance. SITA employs roughly 800 permanent staff (predominantly women) and around 300 seasonal workers during the February–May harvest, with group-level employment exceeding 1,000 including indirect roles. The company is family-owned and is undergoing planned generational succession, with two of the founder's daughters now serving as Deputy CEO and Commercial Director. SITA estimates its group valuation at over 400 million euros and has been recognized by the Ivorian presidency with the National Excellence Award (2018) and Best Exporting Company Award (2019).

Name

Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d’Anacarde

Legal name

Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d'Anacarde (SITA SA)

Website

https://sita-sa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

SITA SA is a vertically integrated Ivorian cashew processor founded in 1980, operating West Africa's first industrial cashew factory with 15,000 tonnes annual capacity, exporting bulk kernels to Europe, the US, and Asia, and selling MIADI-branded retail products domestically.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Abidjan

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Cashew Kernel Export: SITA SA exports processed white cashew kernels to international wholesale buyers in Europe, the United States, and Asia. This is the primary revenue stream and the company's core business activity.
2. Branded Consumer Products (MIADI): Roasted and flavored cashew and mixed nut products sold under the MIADI brand through supermarket chains and retail outlets across Côte d'Ivoire. Includes products like DAGABA (cashew paste), roasted cashews, mixed nuts, and seasoned nut blends.
3. Subsidiary Operations (Rice, Hospitality, Transport, Microfinance): SITA Group operates subsidiaries in rice processing, hospitality, transport, and credit/finance sectors, diversifying revenue streams beyond cashew processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SITA SA is a vertically integrated cashew processor that buys raw cashew nuts from smallholder farmers in Côte d'Ivoire, transforms them at its Odiennè factory (15,000-20,000 tonnes/year capacity) into internationally graded white cashew kernels, and exports them in bulk to wholesale buyers in Europe, the US, and Asia. It also produces finished roasted and flavored consumer cashew and mixed nut products under the MIADI brand for the Ivorian retail market, and operates a US roasting facility (SITA Kernels LLC) serving the North American market.

Product overview

SITA SA operates as a vertically integrated cashew processing company with two main business segments: bulk cashew kernel exports (under standard international grades including WW240, WW320, SW320, SW240, SWP, SK320, LWP, LP, BB, FS, SP) and branded consumer products under the MIADI sub-brand. The consumer segment includes roasted and salted cashews, seasoned cashew mixes (Thai, sweet pepper, smoked), mixed nuts, and cashew paste, all sold in various pack sizes (100g to 450g) primarily in the Côte d'Ivoire domestic market. The company processes raw cashews at its Odienné factory with 15,000 tonnes annual capacity and operates a US roasting facility (SITA Kernels LLC) for North American market distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MIADI: Consumer brand for roasted cashew nuts and nut mixes, including salted cashews, smoked almonds, Thai mix, sweet pepper mix, and mixed nuts. Products sold in various sizes (100g, 170g, 350g, 400g, 450g) in Côte d'Ivoire.
• DAGABA

Quantifiable outcome

• Developed over 150,000 hectares of cashew plantations from 120 hectares in 1980, supporting thousands of smallholder farmers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bluestar Direct LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024SITA Kernels LLC was established in partnership with Bluestar Direct LLC (one of SITA's principal US customers) to roast, sell, and distribute all types of nuts in the United States. Bluestar Direct LLC handles handling, packaging, and distribution operations at the Hillsborough, NJ facility. The US market consumes 80% of nuts as snacks, making this partnership strategically important for North American market penetration.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Marico Limited: Indian FMCG company with edible oils, nuts, and value-added food products including coconut and other edible nut-based products. Comparable as a vertically integrated branded edible nuts/oils business serving retail and export markets.
• Diamond Foods: US snack food company with significant nut-based product portfolio (Emerald nuts, Kettle nuts). Comparable as a branded nut snack competitor in the same retail channels SITA targets in the US.
• Blue Diamond Growers: US-based almond cooperative with global branded nut snack distribution. Comparable as a grower-processor-brand model selling value-added nut products through retail and foodservice channels.
• Planters: Iconic US nut snack brand offering roasted/salted cashews, mixed nuts, and related products — directly comparable to SITA's MIADI branded consumer line in product format and end market.
• Olam Food Ingredients (ofi): Global agri-business with a large cashew sourcing and processing platform, including West African operations. Operates at significantly larger scale across multiple nuts and ingredients, providing a benchmark for global cashew trading and processing.
• John B. Sanfilippo & Son: US nut processor and snack manufacturer (Fisher Nuts, Orchard Valley Harvest) with vertically integrated roasting and packaging. Comparable in B2B nut processing capabilities and private-label/brand operations.
• Cargill: Global agri-commodity giant with cashew sourcing and edible nuts operations across Africa and Asia. Provides broad incumbent comparison for large-scale agricultural processing and food ingredient distribution.
• Castellini Group: US-based processor, roaster, and distributor of nuts and dried fruits. Comparable as a nut ingredient processor serving B2B food manufacturers and snack brands, with similar roasting/value-add capabilities.

Direct peers

• Mim Cashew: West African cashew processor operating across Côte d'Ivoire and Benin with comparable raw cashew sourcing, kernel processing, and export model to SITA. Most directly comparable African peer in scale, geography, and B2B export focus.
• Tolaro Global: Benin-based cashew processor and exporter with vertically integrated operations similar to SITA. Comparable raw sourcing model and focus on West African RCN value addition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sitaofficiel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sita-groupe

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Société Ivoirienne de Traitement d’Anacarde