Drivers’ strike picks up speed in Brazil

Demonstrations that began as isolated protests have spread to at least 10 states

Brazilian truck drivers protesting high fuel prices for a seventh day on Tuesday interrupted supplies of diesel and raw materials across the country and threatened to hold up grains exports at ports in the middle of a record harvest.

Demonstrations that began as isolated protests have spread to at least ten states, intensifying despite government threats of heavy fines for truckers blocking roads.

President Dilma Rousseff called an emergency meeting, hoping to defuse the strikes, which threaten the agricultural exports Brazil needs to close a trade deficit and avoid a deeper economic downturn.

Highway operator Ecovias said truckers had blocked the Port of Santos, the largest port in the world’s biggest soy exporter. Railway operator America Latina Logistica said the strike was delaying shipments.

The strike has led to a shortage of diesel fuel in parts of Brazil’s bountiful centre-west grains belt.

Harvest under threat

Some farmers have temporarily halted soy harvesting machinery due to lack of fuel.

“We could end up losing some of the harvest,” Antonio Galvan, president of the Sinop Farmers Union in top soybean producing state of Mato Grosso, said. “Without diesel, you can’t do anything.”

Although the strike has hurt grains deliveries at Brazilian sea ports, the loading of ships with soybeans remained on schedule for the time being.

Paranagua, Brazil’s No 2 port, said it had enough grain to fill ships now loading, but worried a sharp drop in truck deliveries of soy would eventually disrupt the flow of vessels.