A Liberian-flagged vessel that ran aground last Tuesday near the port of Rosario, Argentina’s main grain export hub, is blocking some 20 cargo ships from leaving the port, local media reported Sunday.
After taking on a load of wheat at the port, the vessel ran aground due to the fall in the water level in the Parana River, which at Rosario, in the central province of Santa Fe, on Saturday stood at 1.74 meters (5.66 feet), spokesmen for the Naval Prefecture said.
The situation has resulted in obstructing the departure of about 20 cargo ships and port terminals in the area have suspended granting authorization for shipments of wheat and corn.
“Significant delays in port and navigation operations are occurring, since vessels that finish their loading cannot set sail, and (the vessels) in the Rio de la Plata cannot navigate (and are) waiting to be able to come up to the loading (areas),” said Alberto Tello, an official with the Rosario Maritime Center.
The loading terminals in this part of Argentina, one of the world’s main grain exporters, “also are finding themselves terribly affected since they cannot fulfill their commitments,” Tello told the daily El Litoral.
