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Brazil's Parana ports handle record cargo in Aug

  • Spanish Market: Agriculture, Fertilizers
  • 16/09/24

The Paranagua and Antonina ports, in Brazil's southern Parana state, handled a record amount of cargo in August thanks to increased fertilizer imports.

The two ports handled 6.9mn metric tonnes (t) of cargo in August, up by 14pc from the same month in 2023 and above the prior record of 6.6mn t in June, according to Parana's port authority data.

That also surpassed July's handling by 20pc.

Imports totaled 2.5mn t last month, a 41pc hike from August 2023 and above the 2.2mn t handled in July.

Fertilizer imports increased by 59pc to 1.2mn t in August from a year before and were 29pc — or 265,170t — above the prior month's imports.

Exports reached 4.4mn t, up from 4.3mn t in August 2023 and a near 27pc increase from July's exports.

Soybean shipments rose by 10pc to 1.9mn t in August from the same month last year. That was also above the 1.3mn t exported in the previous month.

Corn exports decreased by 77pc to 72,900t, down from 316,430t shipped in August 2023 and almost in line with July's exports.

Exports of bulk sugar increased by 34pc to 836,430t last month from the same period a year ago. That was also up by 77pc from July's exports.

Parana ports handled 46.4mn t in January-August, up by 10pc from the same period in 2023, also boosted by higher imports.

Imports increased by 23pc to 17.2mn t. Fertilizer imports rose by 14pc to 6.9mn t, up from 6mn t in January-August 2023.

Exports totaled 29.2mn t, a 4pc increase from the same eight months last year.

Soybean shipments rose by 11pc to 11.2mn t in the period, while corn exports dropped by 80pc to 581,730t from the same eight-month period in 2023.

Wheat exports in January-August more than tripled to 171,830t from the same period a year before. Sugar shipments increased by 46pc to 4.2mn t.


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11/10/24

Brazil's drought: Northern rivers continue to drop

Brazil's drought: Northern rivers continue to drop

Sao Paulo, 11 October (Argus) — The worst drought in Brazil's history continues to reduce river levels in the Northern Arc region, hampering navigation on rivers that are used as waterways and are important routes to transport grains and fertilizers. Madeira waterway The waterway links Rondonia state's capital Porto Velho to the Itacoatiara port, in Amazonas state. Itacoatiara port is expected to receive around 78,100 metric tonnes (t) of fertilizers in October, according to line-up data from shipping agency Unimar. Status: The situation is critical in Porto Velho on the Madeira waterway, the second largest in the northern region. The state's ports and waterways authority (Soph) halted operations on 23 September because the Madeira River registered the lowest water level since monitoring began in 1967. The Madeira River's depth in Porto Velho decreased to 24cm on 11 October, from 48cm on 2 October, according to monitoring data from the Brazilian Geological Survey (SGB). Navigation remains suspended in the port. Amazonas waterway It is the main waterway in Brazil's north, handling around 65pc of the region's cargo, according to the national transportation and infrastructure department (Dnit). It links Amazonas' capital Manaus to Para's capital Belem. Status: The Negro River has also been falling. The depth was at 12.25m at the SGB monitoring point in Manaus on 11 October, down from 12.89m on 2 October. This is an extreme drought level and below the historic low of 12.7m recorded in 121 years of monitoring. Tapajos waterway It is an important waterway to move product from Mato Grosso state's northern area, with the Santarem port, in Para state, as a destination. The Santarem port is expected to receive 90,976t of fertilizers in October, according to line-up data from Unimar. Status: The Tapajos-Teles Pires waterway is also facing a dire situation. The national water and sanitation agency ANA declared a water shortage on the Tapajos River on 23 September. Drier than usual weather has dropped the levels of Tapajos, especially in the stretch between Itaituba and Santarem cities, in Para state, where flows are below historic minimum levels. The depth of the Tapajos River at the Itaituba monitoring point, where the transfer point for the Miritituba waterway is located, was at 86cm on 11 October, from 87cm on 2 October and below the record low of 1.32m, according to SBG data. At the Santarem monitoring point, where the port of Santarem is located, the Tapajos River was at -6cm, a level considered dry. The level was 25cm on 2 October. The historic minimum at the location is -55cm below the port's reference point. A level below zero does not mean the river is dry, but a negative reading indicates very low conditions. Tocantins-Araguaia waterway The Tocantins-Araguaia waterway encompasses the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers. It runs from the Barra do Garcas city, in Mato Grosso, into the Araguaia River, or from Peixes city, in Tocantins state, into the Tocantins River, to the port of Vila do Conde, in Para state. Soybeans, corn, fertilizers, fuels, mineral oils and derivative products are transported via the northern waterways. Vila do Conde port is expected to receive 152,800t of fertilizer in October, according to Unimar. Status: The SGB has two monitoring points on the Araguaia River. In the Nova Crixas city, in Goias state, the river was at 2.84m on 11 October, from 2.87m on 2 October. The river remains below the historical level of 3.10m. In Sao Felix do Araguaia city, in Mato Grosso state, the river was at 2.54m, from 2.55m in the prior week, a situation of extreme drought and close to the historical minimum level of 2.51m. By João Petrini Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

USDA orders west African organic soy inspections


11/10/24
11/10/24

USDA orders west African organic soy inspections

St Louis, 11 October (Argus) — The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is warning organic soybean importers that product from west Africa may pose risks to consumers and is directing organic certifiers to increase inspections and testing. USDA's National Organics Program (NOP) on 27 September issued a directive to certifiers of organic soybeans and soybean meal from west Africa requiring increase oversight of the organic soybean supply chain over concerns about a lack of adequate controls in the region. Organic certifiers in west Africa are being required to increase on-site inspections and expand sample testing of organic soy products. The certifiers also by 28 October must provide NOP with descriptions of their oversight practices, as NOP evaluates whether to expand its own surveillance. Regulators took action in response to "the rapid growth of soybeans represented as organic in the region, security concerns in the region that can impede the ability for certifiers to conduct unannounced inspections, the prevalence of producer groups with thousands of members and associated issues with full traceability, feasible yields and adequate internal control systems, and known attempts to sell nonorganic soybeans from the region as organic", according to the directive obtained by Argus. The directive also prohibits certifiers from issuing time-based NOP import certificates within the region. Time-based certificates allow for multiple shipments of organic products to be certified for export over a period of time, in contrast to non-time-based certificates which are specific to each shipment. The move comes in the wake of a sharp increase in US imports of organic soybeans and soybean meal from west Africa over the past two years. Organic certification within west Africa is relatively concentrated. According to the Organic Integrity Database, Ecocert SAS certifies over half of all organic operations in the region. The next most common certifier in the countries is the Control Union Certifications, which certifies about 33pc of operations. US reliance on west African organic soy supplies has ballooned in recent years. Through September 2024, 42pc of US organic soybean meal imports and 11pc of organic whole soybean imports were sourced from west African countries, according to Argus organic import data . Two years ago, west African countries accounting for only 3.6pc of US organic soybean meal imports. Regarding what impact this directive could have on organic soy markets, Jennifer Tucker, the deputy administrator of the USDA NOP, said that "in the past, directives have led to both certifier and operation surrenders and some changes in exports as fraud was removed from the system". But "buyers who have invested in and continue to do effective due diligence and oversight on their supply chains should not be affected," she said. By Ryan Koory and Rachel Nelson Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

India's Fact extends NPK, NPS tender closing dates


11/10/24
11/10/24

India's Fact extends NPK, NPS tender closing dates

London, 11 October (Argus) — Indian fertilizer importer Fact has pushed back the closing dates of its latest tenders to buy 15-15-15, 10-26-26, and 20-20-0+13S. The tenders sought 40,000t of each product , plus or minus 10pc of the respective quantities, and were due to close on 14 October. Fact has amended the 15-15-15 and 20-20-0+13S tenders' closing dates to 18 October, with the 10-26-26 tender now due to close on 21 October. All three tenders asked for the 40,000t total to be split into two 20,000t cargoes. By David Maher Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Australia's GrainCorp workers may strike during harvest


11/10/24
11/10/24

Australia's GrainCorp workers may strike during harvest

Sydney, 11 October (Argus) — Union members working for Australian grain aggregator GrainCorp in New South Wales (NSW) state may strike in the coming weeks as part of a wage dispute that could disrupt the start of the winter crop harvest. Australia's Fair Work Commission (FWC) approved a ballot of workers represented by the Australia Workers' Union (AWU) on 9 October, with voting to close on 23 October. If members vote in favour of protected industrial action, legal strikes could take place. An AWU spokesperson confirmed at least 200 union members employed by GrainCorp would vote on proposed action including work stoppages and bans on loading and unloading grain onto trucks and trains. GrainCorp and AWU must engage in a compulsory conciliation conference on 18 October to try to reach an agreement on unresolved issues before any strikes can occur. "GrainCorp continues to negotiate in good faith with our employees and the AWU and has held 10 meetings with them in the last six months," a GrainCorp spokesperson said on 11 October. The firm said it was too early to assess the impact, if any, that industrial action would have on the harvest ahead of the conciliation and ballot outcome. But NSW Farmers Grains Committee chair on 11 October called on GrainCorp and AWU to come to an agreement before harvest, stressing the cost of delays during harvest. NSW is poised to have an exceptional winter harvest, thanks to favourable weather throughout the growing season. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (Abares) projects winter crop production to increase by 50pc from 2023-24 to 16.9mn t in 2024-25, which would be the third-highest winter crop on record. GrainCorp handled 37.4mn t of grain in the fiscal year to 30 June 2023, which is greater than the combined winter crop production of Queensland, Victoria and NSW in July 2022-June 2023, according to Abares estimates. Grain Producers Australia did not respond immediately for comment. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Florida ports, fuel supplies, begin recovery: Update 2


10/10/24
10/10/24

Florida ports, fuel supplies, begin recovery: Update 2

Updates more port and terminal conditions, adds daily CBOB/ULSD prices. Houston, 10 October (Argus) — Port Tampa Bay, Florida, docks did not sustain significant damage from Hurricane Milton, the port authority said Thursday, a positive sign for resuming fuel imports into the storm ravaged state. Some port buildings were damaged and power remains out, according to preliminary assessments, but the port docks appear to have escaped major damage, according to the port authority. Many roads leading to the port remain flooded, but the port's main gates are accessible. There is no current timeline for the port's re-opening. Damage to Global Partners' Florida fuel terminals is less severe than the company expected, a spokesperson said Thursday afternoon. Global is loading cargoes from its three Port Everglades terminals. Its Tampa terminal is offline and running on generator power due to power outages, but staff are on site working to restore operations. Kinder Morgan is continuing to assess its terminals and pipeline, a spokesperson said Thursday afternoon. Chevron's Tampa refined products terminal remains closed and damage assessments will begin once crews can safely access the facility, a company spokesperson said Thursday morning. The company's terminals in Panama City and Port Everglades are operational. Citgo said it found no major damage at its Tampa terminal after an initial assessment but a more detailed inspection is ongoing as it works to restore operations. Buckeye, which shut Tampa terminals ahead of the hurricane, did not immediately respond to requests for information on the status of its operations. Tampa spared the worst Florida governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that Port Tampa avoided the worst-case scenario in terms of storm surge and that eastern Florida ports on the opposite side of the state from where Milton made landfall appear largely undamaged. Nearly half of Florida's supply of petroleum and refined products passes through Port Tampa Bay, the majority via waterborne cargo from the US Gulf coast. Tampa Bay is also the site of major fertilizer operations, including Mosaic's Riverview phosphate plant. The state has 1.5mn USG of diesel and about 1.1mn USG of gasoline available to deploy in its emergency response, DeSantis said. Florida's highway patrol continues to escort fuel tankers making deliveries to gas stations and has completed about 130 escorts after some stations ran dry earlier this week as Floridians stocked up on fuel and evacuated coastal regions. DeSantis said he expects gas stations to reopen "very quickly, at least that's our hope." Prices for Florida CBOB delivered at Tampa and Port Everglades rose by 8.51¢/USG to $2.17/USG today while prices for Florida ULSD rose by 7.09¢/USG to $2.39/USG. Cash differentials in the waterborne ULSD markets and gasoline cargo markets were little changed. About 3.4mn Floridians were without power early today after Hurricane Milton came ashore south of Tampa Bay late Wednesday night as a category 3 storm. Utility crews are assessing the damage from high winds, tornadoes and flooding, and starting to restore power. The number of customers without power dipped below 3mn Thursday afternoon. Restrictions were lifted Thursday at a number of Florida ports closed for the storm, the Coast Guard said, while others are expected to open in the next day. By Nathan Risser and Cooper Sukaly Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2024. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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