Argentina is grappling with shortages of diesel fuel that powers tractors and trucks just as the soybean and corn harvests pick up in the powerhouse crop exporter (see article from LaNacion dated 16/05/22).

Farmers ready for fieldwork and truckers who drive the crops to port are reporting rationing and soaring prices across the Pampas growing belt and in the northern regions. Autumn is a time of busy truck traffic, which is the main means of transporting grains in Argentina to the ports around Rosario, the country’s main farming port hub on the banks of the Paraná River (around 86% of soybean transportation to Argentina’s ports is carried out by trucks, 13% by trains and the remaining 1% by ships). Argentina is the world’s biggest exporter of soy meal and soy oil and the 3^rd biggest corn supplier in the world. Last year, the combined exports of those products generated over USD 30 billion.

Many farming activities depending on diesel use are affected and you can see below the “Gasoil supply map” created by Argentine transport association (FADEEAC) which aims to monitor in real time the availability of fuel in Argentina.

The big problem which is creating this shortage is the local prices of diesel. They are too low compared to imported products. If it’s imported as it is mostly the case, there is a big loss. Diesel production within Argentina rose only 1.5% on the year in January 2022. Refiners said they have stepped up imports despite rising global prices and sell locally at government-controlled prices nearly a third less. Finding diesel cargoes are not easy either, with Europe pulling the marginal distillate barrel instead of Latin America (see article from El Litoral dated 20/05/22).

Most countries in Latin America are very worried about the diesel supply chain. Demand for refined products has also increased drastically in Brazil but refineries aren’t able to satisfy those demands to. In our case, we have filled our tanks at San Bartolo and at Curupi Pora farms (2,000 liters each) and we are trying to stock as much as possible diesel via jerry cans. For now, our usual suppliers can only deliver 200 liters – so we are diversifying suppliers but prices are going up. On average, we need 2,000 liters per month for those 2 farms. We hope that the situation is going to reveres otherwise; we would need to reduce machinery activities.