Following CMA CGM’s announcement that it would cease all operations at the Port of Natal in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, producers say that the tendency now is to send fruit shipments to the neighboring state Ceará so that these goods can still be exported to overseas markets.
The company has already confirmed that it will stop sending ships to Natal to the port authority Codern. If the state-owned company is unable to attract new operators, the port may experience a reduction of operations by half, losing about R$ 5 million per year.
According to the producers, there is an advantage to this change: they will no longer have to deal with the logistical difficulty of bringing cargo to Natal and the port’s limitations. Half of the fruit production is already exported by the neighboring state. Agrícola Famosa, the largest exporter of melons and one of the most important agricultural industries in Brazil, has already taken this decision.
Source: Robson Pires