Chapter 82

Chapter 82: Flour Mill

In June, at the Port of Bagamoyo along the banks of the Little Rhine, the Bagamoyo Flour Mill emerged as a significant industrial landmark in the East African colony. It was the fourth port of importance after Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, and Tanga. This modern factory, with its imposing red walls and concrete structure, stood in stark contrast to the traditional white Arabic buildings surrounding it.

The Bagamoyo Flour Mill, built on an area exceeding 1,000 square meters, represented a shift towards modern industry in the region. The architecture was inspired by contemporary European styles, setting it apart from the traditional Arabic buildings in the vicinity.

Tall chimneys adorned the factory's roof, and the smoke they produced signaled the presence of industry in East Africa. It was the second recorded modern industrial enterprise in the entire region, with the first being the Tanga sisal processing factory, which had already been successful in the market.

The Bagamoyo Flour Mill operated on steam power generated by boilers, fueled by coal extracted from the inland regions of East Africa. This steam power drove the factory's equipment, ensuring uninterrupted and stable production. The factory was equipped with state-of-the-art machinery imported from Germany, which arrived as spare parts and were assembled by professional technicians.

The factory layout was designed for hygiene and efficiency, with an elegant, simple design. Lighting was provided by the Berlin Electric Power Company, ensuring continuous operation even at night. The generator was imported from Siemens.

Adjacent to the production workshop was a massive modern warehouse. Given the humid climate of coastal East Africa, meticulous planning went into constructing this warehouse to prevent moisture and rodent infestations. It featured concrete flooring, a professional drainage system, and advanced environmental monitoring equipment.

The Bagamoyo Flour Mill served as an extension of the agricultural industry, processing East African colonial wheat with the advantage of local port facilities. The finished product, branded with the Hexingen Company trademark, was exported to Europe. These exports, transported back to Trieste by returning Hechingen ocean-going trading fleets, were sold through commercial outlets established by companies in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Furthermore, this enterprise acted as a recruitment opportunity, showcasing that East Africa could produce its own goods and was not a barren land. Bagamoyo's historical significance as a major slave trade market had waned with the fall of the Sultanate of Zanzibar, and the East African colonial government was now focusing on its development.

In the 18th century, Bagamoyo was the most vital port in East Africa, with over 50,000 indigenous slaves passing through annually at its peak. However, as Dar es Salaam, developed by the Sultanate of Zanzibar, grew in importance, Bagamoyo's significance declined. The East African colonial government, having acquired Bagamoyo, recognized the strategic value of its port in the future.

Currently, only coastal areas of East Africa were suitable for establishing factories, as they relied on port access to receive machines from Europe. Inland areas were not feasible due to the high cost of transporting machinery, the risk of damage due to the region's conditions, and the lack of a population base near these factories.

Wheat was the primary food crop in East African colonies, with annual output growing considerably. While rice had a distance advantage due to being grown in the coastal plains, European industrialization focused on wheat, making it more suitable for mechanization. Consequently, the Bagamoyo Flour Mill played a crucial role in processing wheat, extending the agricultural industry chain and increasing agricultural industry profits in the East African colonies.

(End of Chapter 82)