Local or imported improver: comparing the real landed cost

Many buyers compare a local improver and an imported improver on the price of the bag. That is the wrong unit. An improver is judged on the landed cost per tonne of flour treated, for an equivalent result in a trial baking.

1. The dosage. Two improvers at the same face price can be dosed differently to reach the same target (volume, tolerance, machinability). A product formulated on your wheats often reaches the target at a lower dosage than a standard product. To compare: cost of the bag ÷ number of tonnes of flour it treats for your result.

2. Transport. A product imported from Europe includes freight, insurance, customs clearance and handling. A product made in Casablanca and delivered in 24-48 hours has none of these items.

3. Lead time and safety stock. A European restock takes weeks: you must tie up more stock to never run out (an out-of-stock = out-of-target flour delivered to the customer). With a local supplier holding permanent stock, the safety stock melts away.

4. Exchange rate. A price in euros exposes you to currency risk for the whole life of the contract. A price in dirhams is stable.

5. Support. Calibrating the dosage on your line, answering a problem on the morning bake the same morning, the comparative trial baking: that is service included with a local formulator, billed or absent elsewhere.

How to run the comparison, concretely: ask for both samples, run a trial baking with the same protocol, note the dosage that reaches your target for each, then calculate the landed cost per tonne (product + transport + stock immobilisation). That figure is what we compare, not the price of the bag.

See also: choosing your corrector supplier · FortoPain / ExtraPain comparison · packaging & catalogue.