The Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo (CEAGESP), a public company linked to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply, represents an important link in the supply chain of vegetables.
It makes it possible for field production, coming from several Brazilian states and other countries, to reach people’s tables with regularity and quality. To this end, it has two distinct and complementary business units: storage and warehousing.
In this way, the Company sustainably guarantees the necessary infrastructure for wholesalers, retailers, rural producers, cooperatives, importers, exporters and agro-industries to carry out their activities with a guarantee of safety, efficiency and qualified services.
To get an idea of the size of the company, CEAGESP maintains the largest public network of warehouses, silos (large cylinder-shaped warehouses to store products agricultural) and bulk carriers (places that receive or house bulk goods) in the São Paulo State.
It also has the largest supply center for fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish and other products (garlic, potato, onion, dry coconut and eggs) in Latin America – the Entreposto Terminal São Paulo (ETSP). Located in the west of São Paulo, around 50,000 people and 12,000 vehicles circulate daily.
A little about the history of CEAGESP São Paulo
In 1977, it broke the record for products sold in a single day: 6,200 tons, surpassing the largest market in the world, Rungis (Paris), in France.
Third perishable wholesale marketing center in the world, behind only those in Paris and New York, Ceagesp is currently the main supply center in the country, the largest in Latin America, and handles 250 thousand tons of fruits, vegetables, fish and flowers every day.
Almost three years after it appeared, Ceagesp announced investments to increase its capacity. The planned reinforcement was 500 thousand bags, expanding to 900 thousand tons its potential to store food.
Ceagesp began its decentralization process at the end of the 1970s. In order to organize the supply of food in the countryside, the Company set up regional commercialization warehouses.
The first “mini-ceasas”, as they became known, were built in Bauru, Sorocaba, Ribeirão Preto and São José do Rio Preto. Currently, there are twelve supply centers in the interior, close to production and consumption centers.
On September 22, 1979, spring was greeted with the first Varejão da Ceagesp. Until then, the Company only had wholesale activities. About 300,000 people attended. 30,000 were expected. Result: 800,000 kilos of produce sold in just two hours.
A week later, on September 29, Ceagesp carried out the second Varejão with a series of changes. The number of tents jumped from 723 to 965. The area destined for the event doubled, reaching 24 thousand square meters. A task force was set up to serve the population, with 60 military police and 85 guards. The scheme even included extra bus lines.
With debts of R$ 180 million with Banespa, the government of São Paulo announced that it would auction Ceagesp on the Stock Exchange, in 1996. The total value of the sale was about R$ 250 million, for 98.9% of the shares . However, the first auction was canceled due to lack of a buyer. The second also, because the only consortium interested in the purchase said that it was not in a position to close the deal.
This thwarted the government’s privatization campaign. The following year, in 1997, the company was federalized – the Company’s assets entered as part of the payment of the State’s debt with the Union – and linked to the Ministries of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. In the same year, Ceagesp entered the list of the National Privatization Program (PND). The intention was to privatize it in the future, but that never happened. In 2015, the company was excluded from the PND.
CEASA SP
Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo ( CEAGESP ) emerged from the merger of two companies maintained by São Paulo State Government: the State Supply Center ( CEASA ) also known simply as CEASA SP and the Companhia de Armazéns Gerais of the State of São Paulo ( CAGESP ).
CEAGESP, which centralized the supply of a good part of the country, quickly consolidated its operations in the areas of marketing of vegetables and grain storage. Since 1969, CEAGESP boasts 2,700 wholesale companies and 300 retailers and administration linked to the federal government.
CEAGESP São Paulo Warehouse
Structure and Capacity
Vertical Silo (20 thousand tons): receives grains in bulk
Location and Contact
Rua C, s/n (side of Avenida José C. de Oliveira, 111 A) – Jaguaré – CEP 05317-900
Phone: (11) 3643-3817
Email: [email protected]
Regional Responsible 1: Alexandre Campos Leite – [email protected]
Contact: Antonio Mestre