Soybeans are expected to inflate freight rates in the first quarter of 2026, says Conab

The 2025/26 soybean harvest is expected to inflate the road freight market in the first quarter of 2026, according to the National Supply Company (Conab). With an estimated production of 177.6 million tons and warehouses still occupied with corn, the pressure on transportation is expected to concentrate between January and March, when the outflow of the oilseed reaches its peak. The projection is from the November Logistics Bulletin, which points to sustained quotations even during the current inter-crop period, a time when historically more significant drops occur. "Such a harvest is expected to inflate the road freight market in the first quarter of 2026, at the state level," Conab informed when evaluating the scenario in Mato Grosso, the largest national grain producer. The soybean is expected to start being harvested "incipiently, in the second half of December, with intensified work for January and February," the state-owned company highlighted. The current dynamics already ...