The Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming, Paulo Teixeira (pictured), said that studies will be conducted on the operating conditions and shortcomings of the São Paulo Company of Warehouses and General Stores (Ceagesp). Last month, the company was no longer included in the National Privatization Program (PND). The minister met with employees on Monday (2).
Due to the PND, the company stopped investing in infrastructure, such as hydraulics, roofs and asphalt. According to the minister, these pending issues will be reversed in 2025.
“Now, the exit allows for two investments, the investment here by the company and also the public investment, which can be made through parliamentary amendments. With the exit [do PND]we will carry out the survey and the presidency and board of directors can make a summary of all emergency investments and see if the company will have a surplus that can be used for these investments, and we will also be able to include it in the 2025 Budget for those investments that we can handle in the short term”, he stated.
The main investment will be made through agreements with the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), for financing public storage structures, and with the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae), for training farmers and distributors. “Brazil has a storage deficit and Ceagesp has silos, but for them to be useful they need investment in safety. We recently saw the explosion of a warehouse due to lack of investment. [em Palotina, Paraná]so we have to make investments and put all of Ceagesp’s warehouses to serve Brazil”, explained Teixeira.
According to the MDA, the investment still depends on the companies’ return in relation to their most immediate management needs, and is a medium-term strategy, but should be initiated with protocols of intent this year. “BNDES will work with us. We will sign a strengthening agreement in the coming weeks and we will already talk about a line of financing for the warehouse park, with the opening of a line of financing for these three companies. [Ceagesp, CeasaMinas e Conab]. The agreement is ready, you just need to sign it.”
At the meeting with employees of the center, Teixeira highlighted that a study will be conducted to open warehouses aimed at family farming, managed by CEAGESP. “If we can expand this vocation so that family farmers come and sell, and cooperatives come and sell, it could be very important. There is a proposal on the table, and we want to speed it up,” he added.
Teixeira took advantage of the visit to confirm that José Lourenço Pechtoll, who has been with the company for 15 years, will remain as CEO. Pechtoll, who was the technical and operational director, took over the position on an interim basis after the death of Jamil Yatim, who had held the position since March 2023 and passed away on August 25.
In an interview, Pechtoll highlighted the study by the Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA) to map positions and functions at Ceagesp. The study, expected to last another ten months, will support the company’s next public selection process, which has no scheduled date yet, and the restructuring of careers.
