In Mayotte, a French outermost region, the industrial animal food company Ekwali has increased its storage capacity in order to guarantee farmers throughout the territory with a supply, whatever the circumstances may be.
- 18 September 2019
We had a moral commitment to the profession because we provide the supply all of Mayotte’s livestock. The project is a success because it now enables us to provide farmers with a consistent supply, thanks to an additional 1,300 m3 of storage space.
Ekwali, a company specialised in the industrial production of animal feed, supplies all farmers in Mayotte and must therefore avoid stock shortages. To prevent this from happening, Ekwali has built almost 1 300 m3 of storage space in which to store the raw materials required for its production needs, and can now overcome the supply risks associated with maritime transport in the region.
Three months of storage capacity
The project has increased storage capacity from a couple of weeks’ worth to almost three months’ worth, thus ensuring provisions for livestock, even in the most difficult contexts, i.e. a random rotation of sea freight. On a wider scale, by avoiding shortages in animal feed materials, the project is also contributing to a better development of animal sectors and improving the production of eggs and broilers. At the end of the chain, the company is now also able to offer its clients a range of fresh poultry products.
The construction of silos
The deadlines were tight, but Ekwali was able to meet them. After several technical studies were carried out, the construction of storage spaces took place over a period of eight months. Three silos were built: one 1 200 m3 maize silo; one 90 m3 silo for fibre products; and two 2 m3 units for premixes of additives incorporated into animal feed.
A project that achieves its goals
Thanks to this project, Ekwali now has the wherewithal to deal with any logistical hazards. In 2018, the social conflict in Mayotte served as a test because the port of Longoni was blocked for eight weeks, thus preventing the passage of containers. Despite this, the company was still able to provide all farmers in Mayotte with a steady supply.
Another element of success is, now that raw materials are transferred directly to bulk containers rather than being imported in bags, the labour involved is much less arduous for workers. The change in packaging has also reduced levels of polypropylene waste because fewer bags are required. In addition to this, the project has led to the creation of four more job positions; the company, which had ten employees in 2016, now employs fourteen.
Total investment and European funding
Total investment for the project ‘Ekwali Animal Nutrition - Increasing raw material storage capacity’ is EUR 631 847; the European Regional Development Fund contribution is EUR 311 962 through the ‘Mayotte’ cooperation programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority of "Improving SME competitiveness".