Regulation reduces waiting time for fertilizer ships by 70%

Waiting time to unload at the Port of São Francisco do Sul has gone from 28 days to eight days

The Port of São Francisco do Sul, in Santa Catarina, has reduced vessel waiting times for unloading fertilizers, one of the port complex's busiest cargoes, by 70%. The optimization was achieved through a regulation that prioritizes vessels carrying this type of cargo.

According to the Port Authority, at the request of the governor of Santa Catarina, Jorginho Mello (PL), an internal rule was issued by the port's board in April, giving preference to berthing for ships carrying fertilizers at one of the terminal's berths.

As a result, according to the latest data from the National Waterway Transportation Agency (Antaq), the waiting time, which reached 28 days in March, decreased to eight days in June. By August, fertilizer unloading at the port in northern Santa Catarina reached 1.8 million tons, representing 7% of the country's total imports.

The product, which is used to improve agricultural productivity and quality, is mainly supplied by Russia, Canada, and China, as well as the United States and Morocco. The remaining fertilizers originate from Middle Eastern countries such as Israel, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

The president of the Port of São Francisco do Sul, Cleverton Vieira, stated that reducing ship waiting times ensures lower costs across the entire fertilizer logistics chain. "This measure has a positive impact on agribusiness in Santa Catarina and Brazil, as our port is one of the main entry points for fertilizer into the country," he commented.