Compagri was established in May 2009 in Tete, 400km to the north of Chimoio, as a second agricultural buying and processing facility in Mozambique.
As at Chimoio, operations at Tete are focussed on the purchase of maize from indigenous out-growers, which is then processed into corn flour/maize meal, a key African food staple. The current total storage capacity for maize at the facility is 12,600 tonnes, consisting of four 1,500 tonne silos, one 600 tonne silo, and an additional two large warehouses each with the capacity to store 3,000 tonnes.
Tete is rich in natural resources and is currently enjoying a boom in mining activity – over the last decade the majority of the 140 or so exploration licences granted in Mozambique are located in Tete where a number of huge coal discoveries have been made. After years of neglect, the region's limited infrastructure needs updating and improving in order to transport coal and other resources to market. As a result, Tete is experiencing significant inflows of investment and personnel making Compagri well placed to benefit from the increased activity in the region.
DECA's transport division has seen rapid growth of its fleet and facilities and is now running over 80 vehicles, with all maintenance and repair work carried out in-house by a team of locally based mechanics. Although the collection operation is seasonal, it collects enough produce and has the storage space to mill throughout the year, thus stabilising its revenue stream.
Tete is experiencing significant inflows of investment and personnel making Compagri well placed to benefit from the increased activity in the region.