AEC’s long term period chartered vessel MV Maritime Faith arrived at Port Sudan on 17^th March to discharge a US Aid cargo of about 28,000 Sorghum in Bulk for the UN World Food Program. The cargo which was bagged on shore was discharged in good condition and ahead of schedule.

 

“It is nice when in the course of ordinary business you are able to feel that you make a difference when you carry sorely needed food aid to where it is needed most” says Jesper Lollesgaard, Chartering Manager of AEC in London. “We were especially pleased to be able to host the US Embassy, US Aid and the UN’s World Food Program with guests on board the vessel.”

 

“The World Food Program (WFP) Sudan is grateful to the owners and crew of the MV Maritime Faith, who have played a critical role in delivering food assistance to those in need,” said WFP Sudan Deputy Country Director Margaret Malu, “Our time on the vessel with the master and crew was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to see the discharging of the commodities first-hand.”

(All photos were taken by Ala Kheir who kindly authorized the use of them for this article)

 

Argentina and Brazil are among the world’s top grain-producing and exporting countries.

With Argentina’s planting now complete and Brazil’s harvest steadily progressing, along with the fact that Brazil is set for another record soybean crop in 2017, the east coast south America (ECSA) grain season is expected to see a rise to healthier levels in the coming months as more cargoes come to port for shipment and tonnage supply struggles to keep up.

Argentina is the world’s 2nd largest exporter of corn and 2^nd largest exporter of soyabean meal. It is also a major player in the world wheat market.

• Argentina’s 2016-17 wheat production is forecast to be around 15.5 million tons (total supply of 16.5 million tons) of which around 9 million tons are expected to be exported which is up 800,000 tons from last year.
• Argentina’s 2016-17 soyabean production is forecast to be around 58.8 million tons (total supply of 67.3 million tons) of which around 9 million tons are expected to be made available for export.
• Argentina’s 2016-17 maize production is forecast to be around 39.8 million tons (total supply of 43.7 million tons) of which around 22.5 million tons are expected to be exported.

Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of soyabeans and also a key player in the world corn market.

The top growing state of Mato Grosso’s harvest has surged to 31 percent complete as compared to 14 percent last year in part due to an earlier than usual planting period.

• Brazil’s 2016-17 soyabean production is forecast to be around 95.4 million tons (total supply of 97.4 million tons) of which around 51.6 million tons are expected to be exported.
• Brazil’s 2016-17 corn production is forecast to be around 67 million tons (total supply of 78.2 million tons) of which around 16 million tons are expected for export.

Ryan Girling – Chartering

The Amazon River has always been a fascinating place. It is the largest concentration of fresh water in the world. The river’s size and depth are astonishing in many areas and amazingly stretches from the Atlantic Ocean through Brazil and Peru the whole way to Ecuador. However, depending droughts and floods the river level can vary as much as 45 feet in some areas.

In the old days basically only the Port of Manaus had some activity when it comes to larger ships. One of commodities imported was bulk wheat for human consumption which is still ongoing today. However, over the past decades more sourcing of grains and more export terminals have appeared. It is making a lot of sense in terms of internal transport costs compared with hauling the grain products to South Brazil for export. This development is of course after massive resources have been allocated to infrastructure enabling the Brazilian harvest to arrive from North West Brazil to the Amazon River and be loaded into larger Bulk Carriers.

In January 2017 AEC arrived in Santarem (Amazon River) with a full cargo of bulk Urea (fertilizer) from The Baltic Sea.

The Urea is discharged with the ships cranes and attached grabs into shore ‘hoppers’, allowing the cargo to be safely loaded into trucks.

AEC is, also in January, loading two vessels in the Amazon River. One with grain products and one with Kaolin Clay in bulk.

Lars-Peter Madsen

 

Agriculture & Energy Carriers was the first vessel Operator to officially terminate the U.S. trading ban on vessels that previously had called Cuba, by successfully concluding a Charter of a Bulk Carrier that came open in Cuba after discharging and straight thereafter loaded the vessel in USA.

The U.S. previously had a 180 days ban to call U.S. ports on vessels that had called Cuba (except for U.S. Government approved cargoes).

‘Reacting quickly to the news from the U.S. Treasury Department, concerning the amendment of the Cuba sanctions, AEC chartered a 32,633 dwat 2011 built Bulk Carrier that was spot in Cuba for delivery in in Virginia to load a full cargo of grains’ says Chartering Manager Claas Grafe, and he continues ‘In close coordination with the agents, coast guard, and the Shippers, the vessel arrived already on the 25^th of October 2016 and sailed fully loaded on the 28^th of October 2016.’