A group of agricultural attachés and representatives of embassies from nine countries visited the infrastructure and logistics of the Port of Rio Grande, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The port complex of Rio Grande is the second largest in Brazil in flow of grain.
The visit is part of the fifth edition of the AgroBrazil Exchange Program, an initiative of the International Relations Department of the Brazilian Confederation of Agriculture and Livestock (CNA). The main goal is to bring together foreign delegations stationed in Brazil and the agribusiness sector, showing them the production reality in Brazilian agricultural fields.
Diplomats from Australia, Burkina Faso, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Iran, Japan and Singapore arrived at the port complex sailing on a boat from the Federal University of Rio Grande.
From the vessel, the entourage had the opportunity to observe the terminals of bulk grains, liquids and fertilizers. The boat also sailed in a part of the route that bulk carriers and ships take to load with Brazilian products.
Gedeao Pereira, director of International Relations of CNA and President of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of Rio Grande do Sul (FARSUL), said that the state handles more than US$ 12 billion a year through the port of Rio Grande.
“The AgroBrazil mission allowed us to show our potential for growth and investment opportunities in logistics,” he said.
Gedeão Pereira Silveira gives presentation about agriculture in Rio Grande do Sul at FARSUL’s headquarter
He also recalled that Rio Grande do Sul is one of the three states with the largest agricultural production in the country, alongside Mato Grosso and Paraná.
According to the Head of International Relations at CNA, Ligia Dutra, “we know the potential of the Port of Rio Grande and also the challenges that need to be overcome in order to achieve efficiency in the port service. With this, Brazil will be able to increase access to international markets in a more competitive way, with the reduced cost.”
At the Container Terminal (Tecom), the delegation attended presentations about the operations of the port and discussed with representatives of the grain, pulp and fertilizer industries.
Container Terminal (Tecom) at the Port of Rio Grande
According to the Head of the Rio Grande Ports, Fernando Estima, in 2018, the port complex had a growth of 42 million tons in the flow of cargoes, an increase of approximately 4% if considered the previous year. The main agricultural products shipped at the port complex are soybeans, wheat, rice, poultry, pigs and beef. Most of the soy is destined for China.
The Rio Grande Tecom has 937 meters of moorings and 42 feet of draft, with capacity to operate the largest ships that sail in the world. There are more than 85 operations per hour in the maritime lines.
When referring to CNA’s AgroBrazil mission, Fernando Estima said that he is pleased to see that the institutions that lead the agricultural production realize that logistics is one of the essential links for the flow of production.
For the First Secretary of the Embassy of China, Changqing Bai, “knowing the dynamics of the port of Rio Grande was impressive.”
First Secretary of the Embassy of China, Changqing Bai
The diplomat stressed the importance of trade relations between Brazil and China. “There is a complementarity between the two countries. On the one hand, Brazil has great potential to produce agricultural products. On the other hand, China has capital and market for these products. So I strongly believe in a promising future for commercial relations in agribusiness,” he said.
The activities of the 5th edition of the AgroBrazil Program began at the headquarters of the Federation of Agriculture and Livestock of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (Farsul), in Porto Alegre, where the diplomats met with the directors of intuition to know the state’s agricultural potential. Rio Grande do Sul produces 70% of the rice produced in Brazil and also stands out for the production of grains, rice and beef cattle.
Delegation of AgroBrazil arriving at the Port of Rio Grande
Moving forward, the delegation will meet Estância Santa Maria, in the municipality of Bagé. The property is a pioneer in investing in technology for the production of young steers in Brazil. It also produces soybeans, rice and has an area dedicated to forestry production.