More than 60% of Mato Grosso’s corn exports move north in Brazil

The “Northern Arc” of ports in northern Brazil continue to gain market share of corn exports from Mato Grosso. From January through September of 2024, Mato Grosso exported 16.89 million tons of corn with 10.28 million tons or 60.8% of the total flowing through ports in Northern Brazil and 39.1% exported through southern ports. In 2021, 47.6% of Mato Grosso’s corn exports flowed through the northern ports. The two main northern ports for corn exports from Mato Grosso are Barcarena at the mouth of the Amazon River and the upriver port of Santarem. The Mato Grosso Institute of Agricultural Economics (Imea) indicated that these two ports exported 8.65 million tons of corn from January through September or 84.1% of the total. In recent weeks, water levels on the Tapajos River, which is a southern tributary to the Amazon, dropped to the point where barging operations were suspended. Barging operations on the Madeira River were suspended earlier. Water levels on both rivers are expected ...