São Francisco do Sul Port Hold 7% Share Among Brazil’s Fertilizer Imports

Fertilizer imports play a vital role at the São Francisco do Sul Port. In the first nine months of this year, the northern Santa Catarina port complex has already received 1.9 million tons of fertilizer, accounting for 7% of the total imported by the country during this period (28.5 million tons).

This product, crucial for enhancing agricultural productivity and quality, is primarily supplied by Russia (23%), followed by Canada (15%), China (10%), the United States (7%), and Morocco (7%). The remainder of the fertilizer originates from Middle Eastern countries like Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Since January, the port has welcomed 69 ships carrying fertilizers, taking an average of two to five days to unload around 27,500 tons each.

The substantial number of vessels choosing São Francisco for fertilizer unloading is due to the port’s efficiency. “The waiting time for ships at sea to enter São Francisco is on average 10 days, much less than other ports in the region,” explains Clayton Cipriano, Operations Manager. He adds that the fertilizers arriving at the largest Santa Catarina port are destined for Mato Grosso, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, as well as Santa Catarina.

The unloading process has also been expedited since July when the port opened a new access, increasing the truck movement capacity at the port from 500 to 1,500 vehicles per day.

According to Danilo Rosa, manager of Zport, a port operations company operating in São Francisco do Sul, the new gate has sped up the unloading of fertilizer ships by around 30%. “For instance, under normal conditions, it would take about 34 hours to unload 10,000 tons of fertilizer. Today, with the new gates, we have higher efficiency, enabling us to unload 10,000 tons in up to 24 hours,” he explains.

Decline in 2023

Although Brazil imports 80% of the fertilizer it consumes, fertilizer imports have decreased over the course of this year. In the first half of 2023, there was a 14.5% decrease compared to the same period last year.

This trend was confirmed in September at the São Francisco do Sul Port, which received 216,000 tons of fertilizer, a 16% reduction compared to the same month last year (256,000 tons). However, the expectation is that imports will increase by the end of the year due to expectations of a new bumper crop next year.

The chart below shows the volume of fertilizer imports registered at the São Francisco do Sul Port between Jan 2019 and Aug 2023. The data is from DataLiner.

Fertilizer imports to São Francisco do Sul | Jan 2019 – Aug 2023 | WTMT

Source: DataLiner (click here to request a demo)

$4 Billion Business

Fertilizer imports at the São Francisco do Sul Port in 2023 moved about $800 million (R$4 billion), considering an average value of $405 per ton negotiated throughout the year.

Fertilizers, which are not part of the pesticide family, are chemical compounds used in agriculture to provide nutrients to the soil and achieve higher crop yields. They are essential for crops like corn, soybeans, rice, and wheat.

The fertilizer, resembling small foam beads, is artificially produced in factories by mixing mineral elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, limestone, and potassium.

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