Baixa liquidez de adubos pode causar gargalo logístico
A baixa liquidez no mercado brasileiro de fertilizantes tem deixado vários setores preocupados com a possibilidade de gargalos logísticos quando os produtos armazenados nos portos forem transportados.
A comercialização de soja e milho estão abaixo dos níveis do ano anterior devido aos preços mais baixos. Isso contribui para a compra mais lenta de insumos para a safra de soja de 2023-24, mesmo com as taxas de relação de troca em níveis mais favoráveis para os agricultores. As entregas de fertilizantes ao mercado têm sido mais lentas desde o início do ano. De acordo com dados da Associação Nacional para Difusão de Fertilizantes (Anda), 12 milhões de t foram entregues entre janeiro e março, queda de 3,7pc em comparação com o mesmo período de 2022.
A situação também é afetada pelo cancelamento de contratos de compra de fertilizantes. Alguns agricultores estão se recusando a receber adubos cujos contratos foram assinados em períodos anteriores e a preços mais altos.
Nesse caso, a queda no frete rodoviário de fertilizantes é ainda mais acentuada neste ano, devido à menor demanda pelo serviço de transporte até o momento. Em junho de 2022, o frete na rota Paranaguá-Rondonópolis atingiu um preço médio de R$ 243/t, queda de 21pc em relação a janeiro de 2022, quando o frete atingiu um dos níveis mais altos do ano. Em junho de 2023, o frete na mesma rota foi de R$ 201/t, queda de 35pc em relação a janeiro.
Na rota Santos/Cubatão-Rondonópolis, a taxa média de frete em junho de 2022 atingiu R$ 253/t, queda de 16,2pc em relação a janeiro. Em junho de 2023, o frete médio foi de R$ 243/t, queda de 22pc em relação a janeiro.
Portanto, existe a preocupação de que as entregas restantes de fertilizantes armazenados também sejam mais lentas, especialmente de algumas origens, pois há o risco de enfrentar longas filas nos portos brasileiros, mesmo com a expectativa de menores importações de fertilizantes em 2023.
As importações de fertilizantes do Brasil neste ano estão atrasadas em relação ao ano passado. De acordo com os dados do Global Trade Tracker (GTT), considerando os principais tipos de fertilizantes e matérias-primas, 15,6 milhões de t foram importadas entre janeiro e maio de 2023, queda de 8pc em comparação com o mesmo período do ano passado. Um grande volume foi importado em 2022 nesse período, devido às preocupações sobre o conflito entre Rússia e Ucrânia.
No entanto, os estoques de fertilizantes são altos, o que contribui para uma maior oferta no mercado doméstico. De acordo com dados da Anda, no fim de 2022 os estoques estavam em 9,2 milhões de t, aumento de 19,1pc em relação aos 7,7 milhões de t mantidos no fim de 2021. Portanto, há um volume significativo a ser entregue aos agricultores.
Isso também pode aumentar os custos logísticos, já que, com a maior demanda por transporte, os fretes de fertilizantes com origem nos principais portos do país devem aumentar em meio à concorrência por veículos disponíveis.
Nessa equação logística para o transporte rodoviário de fertilizantes, a colheita da segunda safra de milho de 2022-23 pode ajudar a baratear o frete de fertilizantes devido às condições de frete-retorno. Quando os volumes de fertilizantes chegam ao seu destino, se houver cargas de grãos disponíveis para transporte, motoristas podem aceitar um frete melhor.
Porém, com a queda nas cotações e nos prêmios de exportação, que caíram mais intensamente desde março, a tendência é que agricultores optem por manter grãos e oleaginosas armazenados, aguardando preços mais altos para o segundo semestre. Há também um volume significativo de soja aguardando negociação, o que impacta as condições de frete-retorno de fertilizantes. Nesse caso, o frete de fertilizantes acaba sendo mais caro, já que a pior situação para os caminhoneiros é rodar sem carga na estrada, uma vez que isso deprecia os veículos e os motoristas não recebem nada.
Novas possibilidades no Arco Norte
O crescimento da importância dos portos do Arco Norte na exportação de grãos já é uma realidade, pois se trata de uma via relevante para as exportações brasileiras.
Essa região vem ganhando mais atenção de agricultores, especialmente do estado de Mato Grosso, o maior produtor de soja do país. Também está se tornando um ponto logístico para a movimentação de combustíveis da região Centro-Norte.
Essas novas condições contribuem para aliviar a fila de navios e o fluxo de caminhões que normalmente se concentram principalmente nos portos de Santos e Paranaguá. O porto brasileiro de Vila do Conde, no Pará, foi recentemente liberado para exportar milho para o mercado chinês.
Com o aumento da relevância dos grãos, o segmento de fertilizantes não fica para trás, não apenas como origem diferente, mas também como alternativa modal ao transporte rodoviário. A empresa de logística VLI iniciou a operação da ferrovia que liga o porto do Itaqui, no Maranhão, ao estado do Tocantins. O corredor tem capacidade para transportar 1,5 milhão de t/ano de fertilizantes e deve atender à demanda de agricultores de Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Bahia, Piauí e Tocantins, além do Distrito Federal.
Por João Petrini
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