Cefetra
About Cefetra
Who we are
At Cefetra Group, we want to use our 120+ years of experience as the foundation for future success. We are here to contribute to the biggest challenges of our time. Allow us to tell you where we come from and where we are going.
Company history
The history of Cefetra goes back to 1899 when ‘Centraal Bureau’ was founded in Enschede, in the east of The Netherlands. The goal was to help an association of local farmers to buy fertilizers.
In 1909, Centraal Bureau opened its first branch in Rotterdam. That same year, grain and cattle cakes were traded on the Rotterdam Stock Exchange for the first time.
Laying the foundation
In 1914, with the permission of the Ministry of Agriculture and Industry, Centraal Bureau bought and imported maize for the first time, thus laying the foundation for today’s Cefetra.
Five years later, the Central Bureau’s headquarters moved from the east of the country to Rotterdam. As early as the 1920s, the company started producing poultry feed in the Rijnhaven (Rhine harbour).
Number 1 in agricultural trade
After World War II, Centraal Bureau started the processing and large-scale distribution of agricultural products. In 1962 the company moved to a new office on Rotterdam’s well-known Blaak and continued as Cebeco.
Ten years later, it merged with the Handelsraad (Trade Council). Cebeco-Handelsraad then became by far the largest player in the field of agricultural trade, distribution, and processing in the Netherlands.
A strong international network
In 1988, Cebeco Feed Trading was founded. The company specialized in importing raw agricultural materials from outside the EU to Dutch cooperative compound feed producers. During the 1990s, Cebeco Feed Trading developed into an international player in the raw materials trade with branches all over Europe. In 2002, Cebeco Feed Trading changed its name to Cefetra.
Fast forward to the 2020s, Cefetra Group now consists of various leading companies and brands. We can be found at 35 locations in 20 countries across the world. The strength of our international network has further increased since we became part of BayWa.
Our goal
In recent decades, we have been switching gears to make a difference. As a global supplier of agricultural and food ingredients, we are in a unique position to impact vital supply chains. That is why our goal is to transform them, together with others.
Sustainability is at the heart of our business models. We are already one of the largest suppliers of organically produced ingredients for feed production. And that is just the beginning. We are working towards sustainable supply chains, which will be increasingly transparent. For us, every sourcing contract with every farmer, every ship we load, every truckload we deliver and every trade we do, provides us with an opportunity to create a more sustainable future.