The Belgian colonial regime introduced cotton cultivation to Burundi in the 1920s in the Imbo natural region at altitudes of 800–1,100 metres (2,600–3,600 ft).
[1] COGERCO was established in 1947 as the Cotton Reserves Management Committee (Comité de Gérance des Réserves Cotonnières) to serve the Belgian Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
[3] COGERCO's cotton gin separated fiber, sent to the textile company COTEBU, from seed, which accounted for about 54% by weight.
[4] COTEBU used the fiber to produce excellent quality cotton textiles, and won first place in an industry competition in Madrid, Spain, in 1982.
[3] COGERCO also delivered fiber to smaller companies included the UPC factory which manufactured medical wadding, gauze bandages and sanitary napkins, Quami Freres, which manufactured sewing thread for clothing workshops and LOVINCO, which produced and marketed blankets.
[6] An American "Continental Eagle" plant was purchased in 1987, capable of processing 120 tonnes of cotton seed per day.
Based on results, COGERCO cautiously launched commercial cotton growing in Rutana in 1985.
Cogerco continued to lose land, with most of the remaining cotton grown in Cibitoke Province.
[13] As of 2021 the "Continental Eagle" was COGERCO's only plant, now supported by Bajaj Steels Industries of Nagpur, India.
[6] In August 2021 Déo Guide Rurema, Minister of Environment, Agriculture and Livestock, stated that COGERCO was making heavy losses.