SAO PAULO, March 15 (Reuters) - Port of Paranagua authorities on Wednesday sought to play down concerns that traffic disruptions on the main road access to the key grain export hub is delaying shipments of Brazil's large soybean crop, according to a statement sent to Reuters.
Authorities also denied media reports of a growing line of ships awaiting to load soy, even as cargoes coming by truck from the interior have faced total or partial blockades on the BR-277 highway during Brazil's rainy summer.
A grain trader said some ships are waiting up to 35 days to load cargos at Paranagua as the soy harvest is in full swing. The increase in Paranagua's average loading time is diverting ship bookings to Santos port, an analyst said.
On March 8, the Parana state government urged the federal government to repair the highway after a fissure briefly blocked traffic in both directions at KM 33.
In a statement then, the Parana government said time is of the essence "given the need to ship the largest soy crop in history, estimated at 20.89 million tonnes" in the state alone.
Brazilian soy harvesting is in progress and the country will export around 14 million tonnes in March.
In the first two months of 2023, soy exports via Paranagua fell 50% to around 900,000 tonnes, the port authority said, blaming the slump on excess rainfall and harvesting delays.
Currently, 56 ships await offshore to approach the port while 100 vessels are due to arrive by April 24 to load or unload various cargos, the authority said.
“Not all ships waiting offshore are ready to dock," Operations Director Gabriel Vieira said in the port authority's statement. "A ship may be in port just to ensure positioning, by arrival, for strategic market reasons."
According to Vieira, all vessels that completed check-in procedures "are mooring and loading without any delay." (Reporting by Ana Mano Editing by Marguerita Choy)
