São Paulo – Cooperativa Central Gaúcha Ltda (CCGL), a group of 39 cooperatives that is based in Cruz Alta, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, has exported 1,000 tonnes of powdered milk to the Algerian market this year. The information was supplied by the company’s chairman, Caio Cezar Vianna, and according to him, the cooperative is establishing closer ties with the region. “CCGL is working on prospecting clients in the Arab markets, Vianna told ANBA by email. However, he explains, the cooperative has no more product available to export this year.
“There are good perspectives regarding exports to those markets, especially during the milk crop period, but right now the Brazilian market is overheated and the appreciation of the real [Brazilian currency] makes us less competitive on the international market,” says Vianna. According to him, the Arab market is very important to CCGL, as it demands large volumes of dairy and Brazilian product enjoys great acceptance in the region. CCGL exports to Algeria after having won a tender floated by the country’s government.
The cooperative generally does not export on a regular basis. “That depends on several factors unrelated to the business itself, especially exchange rate issues,” says Vianna. CCGL is one of the major Brazilian cooperatives, having posted revenues of 305 million reals (US$ 171 million) last year. This year, revenues are expected to reach 403 million (US$ 226 billion), an increase of 98 million reals (US$ 55 million), or 32%, over 2010.
The cooperatives affiliated with the CCGL are based in Rio Grande do Sul and boast a combined total of 162,000 farmers. CCGL maintains three business units. One is CCGL Log, for logistics, in charge of at operations the Port of Rio Grande. Another arm of the cooperative is CCGL Tec, for technology, in charge of development and agricultural research. CCGL Lac, for dairy, manufactures powdered milk and butter oil and operates the processing of UHT milk at the affiliates. The products are branded CCGL.
In Cruz Alta, CCGL maintains its headquarters and management facilities, as well as its technology unit and one industrial plant. The plant has processing capacity for 1 million litres of milk per day and is ready for expansion, with an already-built additional area that should boost capacity to 2.5 billion litres per day. Further on, the plant will be prepared to process 6 million litres of milk per day, according to Vianna.
At the Port of Rio Grande, the cooperative maintains two grain terminals, Termasa and Tergrasa, which account for the shipping out of 74% of all soy produced in the state. The terminals receive over 6 million tonnes of grain per year. The group also has a representation office in the state capital, Porto Alegre.
Contact
CCGL
Telephone: (+55 51) 3337-7256
Email: export@ccgl.com.br
Site: www.ccgl.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
