Omar Nasser, from Fiep*
Curitiba – Antonina port, in the southern Brazilian state of Paraná, is consolidating a new option for transfer of cotton production from the Brazilian Midwest to the Arab countries. Vessel Banglar Kallal, under a Bangladeshi flag, is receiving a load of 10,500 tons of cottonseed at one of the port terminals. The shipping, which is experimental, is completely new and has as its destination Saudi Arabia. The port is 77 kilometres away from state capital Curitiba, in the city of Antonina.
The vessel, which came from Gambia, in Africa, arrived in Brazil on October 18 and docked at the terminal on November 06. It should leave Antonina today (19). The objective of company Agrostore, based in the southeastern city of São Paulo, which owns the cargo, is to test logistics, accesses and transshipment conditions at the Port, to evaluate whether new shipping is possible. Apart from the terminal pier at Ponta do Félix, the Matarazzo warehouses are also being used in the operation. They are at another Antonina port terminal.
Based on the works and on the potential of buyers, port director Leopoldino de Abreu Neto, is optimistic. He believes that this will not be the last cotton shipping from Antonina to the Middle East. "This is a product that will be much used by the Arab countries," he evaluated. With regard to the demand for Antonina, forecasts are good. "It will certainly grow."
The rainy weather on the coast of Paraná extended the loading of Banglar Kallal, which was not really a grave problem. "It rained constantly. But at the end, everything worked out," commemorates Edson Alves, from Agenpar, the company that administers the vessel. Another 80,000 tonnes of the product will soon be shipped to the Middle East through Antonina.
Modernization
Out of operation for decades, Antonina port has been undergoing a constant modernization process since 1994. In the last ten months of operation, the port moved 1.036 million tons. It currently offers the market three port terminals, apart from the Matarazzo, it also has Barão de Teffé and Ponta do Félix. This latter, privatised, is already considered the largest cold storage port in Latin America, with two warehouses with a capacity for 13,000 tons. At the moment, its potential is being doubled, with the construction of another two storage units.
The Ponta do Félix terminal has a 360 metre long wharf – making it possible for two vessels to dock simultaneously – and a patio for the storage of 2,300 containers, with 200 plugs for cold storage containers. The terminal has three warehouses for general cargo, one with an area of 2,500 square metres and two with areas of 3,125 square metres each.
Barão de Teffé terminal, which is state-owned, includes the commercial wharf, for vessels up to 155 metres long, with a de 19-foot draft, two warehouses (2,400 and 1,050 square metres) and a balance (100 tons).
Maritime access to Antonina port is via the bay of Paranaguá, with depth of 26.3 feet (8.02 metres) de and 10 kilometres in length. The port is known for the transport of cold cargo due to the storage structure it has for this kind of product. The largest port in Paraná is Paranaguá. The state has only two ports.
* Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná
