PARAGUAY – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has bolstered its river transportation capabilities by adding 12 jumbo barges, each with a nominal capacity to transport 30,000 tonnes of solid products, to the fleet of its subsidiary, Logico Paraguay.
This expansion marks a 20% increase in capacity and underscores LDC’s commitment to enhancing logistics in the region.
The new fleet was officially inaugurated on August 12 at the Chaco Paraguayo shipyard, where the barges were constructed.
The event, highlighted by the ceremonial launch of one barge into the Paraguay River, was attended by Paraguay President Santiago Peña, several ministers, and LDC representatives.
“LDC’s strategic presence in the main port complexes of Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay places us in a privileged position along the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, to provide logistics solutions for the commercialization of agricultural products,” said Juan José Blanchard, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Latin America for LDC Group.
“Our enlarged barge fleet will reinforce our capacity to address growing demand for fluvial freight services, in response to growing international business activities in the region.”
LDC primarily utilizes this fleet to transport key agricultural commodities such as corn, soybeans, soy meal, and oil from various ports in Paraguay to those in Argentina and Uruguay.
These products are processed or transshipped to oceangoing vessels destined for global markets. On the return journey, the barges import agricultural goods, including fertilizers, to support Paraguay’s domestic market.
Logico Paraguay, established by LDC in 2007, plays a crucial role in transporting agricultural goods through the Paraná-Paraguay waterway, facilitating exports to global markets.
With the expanded fleet of four tugboats and 92 barges, expected to be fully operational by January 2025, LDC will have a nominal static capacity of 150,000 tonnes and the ability to transport 1.6 million tonnes of products annually.
This expansion comes at a pivotal time, as Paraguay is projected to export 6.5 million tonnes of soybeans, 2.16 million tonnes of soybean meal, 610,000 tonnes of soybean oil, and 3.3 million tonnes of corn in the 2024-25 marketing year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Alejandro Calabrese, Country Manager for Paraguay and Director of Logico Paraguay for LDC, emphasized the significance of this investment.
“In a year that marks the 20th anniversary of LDC’s operations in Paraguay, we are proud to celebrate the realization of an investment that reaffirms our company’s commitment to growing with the country and supporting its agro-industrial development.”
President Peña, in his address during the ceremony, praised the shipyard workers and stressed the importance of public-private partnerships in fully realizing the potential of Paraguay’s waterway system.
“Today is a very important day, as we not only celebrate the inauguration of new barges, but also the opportunity to recognize the Paraguayans who have worked for decades in this shipyard,” he said.
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