Since last week, the measure has made it difficult for vehicles carrying grain to move around, forcing agro-exporting companies and mills to slowly use up their reserves.
A protest by grain transporters on Wednesday (7.2.2018) paralyzed the shipment of agricultural products at terminals in the Rosario region, Argentina's main agricultural port hub, a representative and a source from the sector said.
The strike by truck owners, whose demand for an increase in the official tariff schedule has made the transit of vehicles loaded with grain difficult since last week, has forced agro-exporting firms and mills to slowly use up their reserves.
"As of today, many (ports) are left without merchandise," said Guillermo Wade, manager of the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities (CAPyM), who added that some companies will stop their shipping activities.
An industry source said one company had to stop loading a ship on Wednesday after running out of stocks due to the effects of the protests, and other terminals were unable to even begin loading cargo.
The strike affected both the Rosario agricultural port hub, where 80% of Argentina's grain and derivative exports are shipped, and the ports of Bahía Blanca and Quequén., second and third in importance -respectively- for the grain trade of the southern country.
"There are no more stocks in the storage sites at the ports," said Andrés Alcaraz, spokesman for the CIARA-CEC chamber, which counts companies such as Cargill, Louis Dreyfus and Bunge among its members.
According to Alcaraz, the decrease in shipments of merchandise also affected the milling in the plants that the same ports have in their facilities and at least 65 vessels were delayed as a consequence of the protest.
On Wednesday, 807 trucks loaded with grains arrived at Rosario terminals, 54% less than the same day last week, according to data from the Rosario Stock Exchange (BCR).
Argentina is the world's leading exporter of soybean oil and meal, and the third largest global supplier of soybeans and corn.
Source: Reuters
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