Heavy flooding in southern Brazil has hit food storage facilities in lower areas and hampered producers’ ability to get grain shipped to ports. Port News says that’s jeopardizing the nation’s exports and causing significant trouble for the economy in Rio Grande do Sul, a state that produces a lot of soy, rice, wheat, and meat. ANEC, an association representing global grain exporters, says access to the Port of Rio Grande has been disrupted because a local rail line stopped operating.
The group that represents firms like Cargill and Bunge also cited road blockades forcing grain trucks to travel an extra 250 miles through alternative routes to reach the port, which increases freight costs. The unprecedented event has left entire towns under water and destroyed critical infrastructure in the capital and rural areas while also killing livestock and catching farmers in the final stages of their corn and soybean harvests.
