EsalqLog study indicates that for 57% of production, located in the center of the state, freight is what defines most advantageous port
08/01/2023
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Ship is loaded with soybeans at a grain terminal in the port of Itaqui, Maranhão — Foto: Claudio Belli/Valor
Three years after the completion of the BR-163 highway, the Northern Arc has consolidated itself as the best alternative for the flow of crops for properties and companies located in northern Mato Grosso. A study carried out by the Agroindustrial Logistics Research and Extension Group of the Luiz de Queiroz Agricultural College (EsalqLog) shows that this means that 19% of the state’s production has the financial advantage of sending grains to ports like Itaqui (Maranhão), Barcarena (Maranhão), Santarém (Pará) or Itacoatiara (Amazonas) in any given crop.
Meanwhile, 57% of the production, which is located in the central region of the state, freight values defined weekly define which port is more competitive. The southern region of Mato Grosso, where 24% of the production is located, always has the advantage of shipping soybeans and corn to ports such as Santos (São Paulo) and Paranaguá (Paraná).
According to the study group, in the city of Sorriso, for example, located in the center of the state, there are times when the difference between sending crops South or North reaches 10%. In the first half of the month, the cost of transporting corn from Sorriso to the Northern Arc was R$432 per tonne, while the freight to Santos cost R$496 per tonne. This means that the logistical cost to transport via Northern Arc was 87% of what it would cost to transport to Santos.
“The Northern Arc needs to be more competitive, and for that it still has a lot to improve the flow roads. It would be even better if the railroad could get there,” said Thiago Péra, the coordinator of EsalqLog.
The Ferrogrão project provides for a line connecting Sinop to the port of Miritituba, in Itaituba (Pará), on a 900-kilometer route practically parallel to the BR-163. But a Direct Action of Unconstitutionality (ADI) points out unconstitutional points – it says the railroad would pass through areas of environmental protection. The case is being analyzed by the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and still has no date for a ruling.
For the researcher, the expansion of private terminals is also essential to ensure the receipt of grain from the central region of Mato Grosso. In Brazil, only the terminals of Barcarena (Pará), Itaqui (Maranhão) and Cotegipe (Bahia), as well as the terminal of Tubarão (Espírito Santo) are enough deep to receive “super,” Capesize ships – bulk carriers with a capacity of up to 200,000 tonnes.
Routes to the south will be more advantageous when and if the Senador Vicente Emílio Vuolo railway is completed, according to Mr. Péra. The project will connect Rondonópolis, Lucas do Rio Verde, and Cuiabá. In addition, the Port of Santos would have to expand its grain capacity, which currently stands at 8 million tonnes per month, the researcher said.
In February, another study by Mr. Péra showed that a 10% increase in Santos’ export volume would result in an average 5% increase in the length of stay of ships in the port, in addition to a 1% increase in traffic on the toll roads to the São Paulo coast.
“The government must attract capital for long-term investment. This is always the issue for investment in logistics in the country. Security is needed because the maturation period is long and the amounts spent are very high,” said Mr. Péra.
*Por Fernanda Pressinott — São Paulo
Source: Valor International