Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Cargill, the US grain trading company, announced that indigenous protesters in Brazil occupied its Santarém river terminal in Pará state, bringing operations at the site to a “complete” halt, according to Reuters.
The company said in a statement that the protesters forced employees to evacuate the terminal on Friday evening. It added that it was in contact with local authorities to work on carrying out the evacuation “in an orderly and safe manner.” This comes amid reports of damage to some assets within the facility.
The port’s importance for grain exports
Port sector data shows that Cargill shipped more than 5.5 million tons of soybeans and corn through the port of Santarém last year. This represents more than 70% of the total grain handled at the port, most of which originated in Brazil’s Midwest region.
Disruptions to operations at the port represent a potential blow to supply chains, especially given that Brazilian grain exports rely on river routes to reach global markets.
Dispute over river dredging
The occupation comes amid escalating tensions between protesters and the company over proposed plans to dredge local rivers, including the Tapajós River, which is used to transport grain for export.
Cargill maintains that it has no control over the river dredging plans and denies responsibility for decisions regarding the controversial environmental projects. Meanwhile, protesters continue to object to what they see as a threat to their communities and natural resources.
