BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA — Louis Dreyfus Co. (LDC) has begun operating a new crane with a daily barge unloading capacity of 4,800 tonnes at the port of its General Lagos agro-industrial complex on the Paraná River in the province of Santa Fe in Argentina.
The new crane provides another access route to the plant, LDC said in its April 24 announcement, complementing land transportation and improving grain receival logistics from LDC and third-party ports in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay throughout the year.
“The incorporation of this new crane in General Lagos reflects our commitment to continue investing in logistics and port infrastructure and consolidates our position as an important regional player in fluvial grain transportation, in one of the country’s main agro-exporting areas,” said Diego Pereyra, head of industry at LDC.
LDC said the upgrade reinforces its logistical competitiveness in coastal shipping by facilitating receival of commodities such as soy, corn and wheat via river transportation. LDC expects a significant volume of these crops to come from its recently acquired Santa Elena facility in Entre Ríos Province, also located on the Paraná River and equipped with a barge port.
The new crane also will enable corn and soy receival from Paraguay and Uruguay for production of high-protein soybean meal, LDC noted, enabling adaptability to different logistical situations, evolving market dynamics and varying availability of agricultural products.
“This investment adds a new unloading point to our regional asset network, strengthening our operational capacity and offering an alternative to sustain crushing volumes with merchandise from Paraguay and Uruguay, at times of the year when local soybean availability decreases,” Pereyra said.
