Operators of solid bulk in the port of Paranaguá foresee an increase of 8.5% in exports in the third quarter of the year, with an increase in shipments of soy, soy meal and sugar compared to the same period last year, while corn should fall, informed the port administration on Thursday. The port of Paraná, one of the main exporters of agricultural products in Brazil, should ship around 7.6 million tons in the period, considering the four products, according to a note citing port operators. Port operators estimate that soy will continue to be the busiest product, with 3.67 million tons, while soy bran will have shipments of 1.3 million tons, an annual increase of approximately 30%, adding the two products. Strong demand from China is one of the factors that boost soy exports this year, said the director of the Paranaguá Export Corridor Terminals Association (ATEXP) and manager of Cargill’s terminal, André Maragliano, in a note released by the port. In addition to Chinese demand, the exchange rate has also helped, he added. “We expect a very positive third quarter, following the first two quarters of the year,” said Maragliano. In bulk sugar, the expected volume for the next three months is 1.45 million tons, up about 75%, with Brazil producing more sweetener, in the face of better prices compared to ethanol and greater external demand while others countries had crop failure. The port expects to handle around 1.2 million tons of corn in the next quarter, compared to 2.42 million tons exported in the same period last year. Operators recall that the product export scenario was atypical in 2019, when the country started the year with more stocks and exported record volumes after harvesting a large harvest. The director-president of the public company Portos do Paraná, Luiz Fernando Garcia, said that, “despite the pandemic moment, the port activity and the agricultural activity of the State remain strong”. He recalled that exports have also been driven by dry weather, which favors shipments, in addition to the record soybean harvest.
Source: Reuters