CEASA/RS

What CEASA/RS does

CEASA/RS (Centrais de Abastecimento do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul S/A) is a mixed-economy state-owned wholesale market company (empresa de economia mista) headquartered in Porto Alegre, Brazil, constituted under Lei Estadual nº 5993/70 and Lei Municipal nº 3413/70 and inaugurated in 1974. It operates the principal centralized wholesale market for horticultural products in Rio Grande do Sul, processing approximately 700 daily loads (182,000 annually) across a 420,000 m² complex that includes pavilions for produce (P5, P6), the Central de Flores (Flower Center), Carnes e Pescados (Meat and Fish), and Embalagens (Packaging). The market is among the four largest CEASA operations in Brazil and South America, serving 1,579 registered producers and 303 trading companies, with peak daily traffic of ~45,000 visitors and ~15,000 vehicles. Its operations generate ICMS tax redistribution to 119 municipalities and serve as the reference price source for state agricultural policy.

The company's technology stack is modest and primarily web-based: PROCERGS (the state IT company) provides hosting and web development, Google Drive distributes weekly price quotation spreadsheets for 35 horticultural products, WhatsApp channels and transmission lists deliver market updates, and Google Analytics tracks website traffic. Ceasa Conecta (hosted on hortti.com) is the company's digital transactional platform, enabling online ordering for wholesale buyers — a recent modernization layer over the predominantly physical market model. LGPD compliance is maintained, with the State Government as data controller, PROCERGS as operator, and Google Brasil as sub-operator for analytics.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: (1) market fees (taxas e tarifas) charged for facility use, loading/unloading, and commercialization services; (2) recurring TPRU space rentals for permanent boxes and pavilions, with rates set and adjusted by board resolution (most recently RD 006/2026); and (3) administrative services including pesticide residue laboratory analysis, procurement services, and ancillary fees. The company is not publicly traded; the Government of Rio Grande do Sul is the controlling shareholder via Lei nº 8819/89. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across SMB producers, mid-market wholesale traders, individual consumers (on designated public hours), and government institutions purchasing data for tax and policy purposes.

Name

CEASA/RS

Legal name

Centrais de Abastecimento do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul S/A

Website

https://ceasa.rs.gov.br

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CEASA/RS is a state-owned mixed-economy wholesale market company in Porto Alegre, Brazil, operating the principal centralized horticultural produce market for Rio Grande do Sul. It serves 1,579 registered producers, 303 trading companies, and 119 ICMS-recipient municipalities across a 420,000 m² complex processing 182,000 annual loads.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Produce Market

NAICS

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers (42448)

akta.pro primary industry

Terminal Market / Produce Market Wholesalers (AFAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Produce Markets & Greengrocers (CRAHAHAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale produce market
• Horticultural distribution
• Price quotation services
• Wholesale market facilities
• Agricultural supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Porto Alegre

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Market Fees (Taxas e Tarifas): Fees charged for use of market facilities, loading/unloading, and commercialization services. Revenue also includes rental income from boxes (commercial spaces) and pavilions for traders.
2. Space Rental - TPRU: Revenue from Permissioned Use of Remunerated Space (TPRU) for boxes and commercial spaces within the CEASA complex. Value of TPRUs was adjusted per RD 006/2026.
3. Administrative Services: Fees for laboratory analysis services for pesticide residue testing, administrative services, and various procurement services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CEASA/RS operates a state-owned wholesale market complex in Porto Alegre for the commercialization of hortigranjeiros (fruits, vegetables, flowers, meat, and fish). The company provides physical market infrastructure (pavilions, boxes, Central de Flores, meat and fish market) along with digital services including the Ceasa Conecta online purchasing platform, daily price quotation dissemination, phytosanitary inspection, and laboratory analysis. It functions as a regulated central market connecting 1,579 producers and 303 trading companies, supporting wholesale distribution across Rio Grande do Sul.

Product overview

CEASA/RS (Centrais de Abastecimento do Rio Grande do Sul) is a state-owned mixed-economy wholesale market company operating the largest hortigranjeiro (horticultural produce) market in Rio Grande do Sul. The offering consists of a unified wholesale market platform with physical market facilities and digital services: the core Ceasa Conecta online purchasing platform enables digital orders; the Cotação de Preços price quotation service provides wholesale pricing transparency; Editais/Pregões manages public procurement tenders; and the Central de Flores, Banco de Alimentos, and Ouvidoria provide specialized sector, social, and citizen feedback services. The company operates physical market pavilions for produce, flowers, meat, and fish, supported by digital transparency and administrative services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ceasa Conecta Online purchasing platform enabling buyers to place digital orders for products sold at the CEASA/RS wholesale market. Available via web at hortti.com/m/ceasa-rs, connecting buyers with market vendors.
• Cotação de Preços (Price Quotation Service)
• Permissionários (Permit Holder Registration Service)
• Central de Flores (Flower Center)
• Carnes e Pescados (Meat and Fish Market)
• Banco de Alimentos (Food Bank Program)
• Editais/Pregões (Public Procurement and Tenders)

Quantifiable outcome

• 182,000 annual loads processed, supplying produce to Rio Grande do Sul state
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abracen (Associação Brasileira das Centrais de Abastecimento)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1987Association created in 1987 to maintain communication and exchange between the various Ceasa markets in Brazil after the system was decentralized. Functions as the only link between the different Central markets in the country, supporting coordinated market activities and information sharing.
• PROCERGS (Centro de Tecnologia da Informação e Comunicação do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul S.A.)coreTechnology or IntegrationState technology company operating as data processor for CEASA/RS website and digital services. Located at Praça dos Açorianos, Centro Histórico, Porto Alegre – RS. Provides IT infrastructure and web development services.
• Governo do Estado do Rio Grande do SulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState government entity that controls CEASA/RS through the Secretaria de Desenvolvimento Rural (previously Agricultura, Pecuária e Desenvolvimento Rural). Major shareholder since 1989 when authorized to receive Federal Union shares.
• EMATER/RS (Associação Riograndense de Empreendimentos de Assist. Técnica e Ext. Rural)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRural extension service that uses CEASA price quotation data along with Rural Worker Unions throughout the state interior for agricultural planning and market intelligence.
• Conab (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational food supply company that succeeded COBAL in organizing and expanding the horticultural sector through SINAC (Sistema Nacional de Centrais de Abastecimento) created in 1972. CEASA/RS was part of this national system.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CEASA Minas: Centrais de Abastecimento de Minas Gerais, another major Brazilian Ceasa operating physical wholesale produce markets (Contagem, Uberlândia, Juiz de Fora) with the same centralized wholesale-market business model, government mandate, and producer/trader ecosystem.
• CEASA-RJ: Centrais de Abastecimento do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, a state-controlled wholesale produce terminal market serving Rio de Janeiro state with overlapping GTM, regulatory mandate under state government, and identical fee/rental revenue model.
• CEASA-GO: Centrais de Abastecimento de Goiás, a state-run wholesale produce market in Goiânia serving as the primary distribution node for horticultural products in the Central-West region, with directly comparable operating model and customer base.
• CEAGESP: Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns Gerais de São Paulo, the largest Ceasa in Brazil and South America, operating a physical wholesale produce terminal market in São Paulo with a similar producer/permissionário model, market-fee revenue, and price-quotation transparency service.
• CEASA/PR: Centrais de Abastecimento do Paraná, another state-owned Ceasa with physical wholesale market operations, producer registration, trader permitting (TPRU-style rentals), and price-quotation services. Same Abracen affiliation and CONAB lineage as CEASA/RS.

Broad incumbents

• Conab: Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento, the federal food supply company that succeeded COBAL and historically organized Ceasas through SINAC. Operates broader food-security, agricultural policy, and price-survey programs that overlap with CEASA/RS's quotation and policy-support functions.

Emerging players

• Hortifruti: Brazilian specialty fruit and vegetable retail chain (now part of GPA/CBD) that sources significant volume from Ceasa markets including CEASA/RS. Acts as a downstream buyer and emerging digital competitor piloting direct farmer sourcing that could bypass traditional terminal markets.

Others

• Abracen: Associação Brasileira das Centrais de Abastecimento, the industry association linking all Brazilian Ceasas since 1987. Not a competitor but a coordination and information-sharing body that directly shapes CEASA/RS's regulatory and operational standards.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ceasars1987
• Facebookfacebook.com/ceasaabastecimento
• Instagraminstagram.com/ceasa_rs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ceasa-rs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CEASA/RS