# Low water is crippling South American grain highway - High Plains Journal

> Low water on the Parana River, which drains southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina, has reached record lows at Rosario, the lowest in over 50 years and lowest ever for April. Barges carrying soybeans and corn have been trapped and forced to light-load, with grain exporters losing an estimated $244 million by mid-May.

- Date: 2020-06-13 · published 2020-06-13T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region Argentina · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/52444-low-water-is-crippling-south-american-grain-highway-high-plains-journal
- Commodities: [Soybean Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SBM.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Slower river loadings raise freight costs and delay Argentine soymeal, soyoil and corn exports, tightening nearby supply and supporting export basis and meal prices.

## Read by commodity

- SBM: bullish ▲
- SOY: bullish ▲
- CORN: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SBM | 2022-10-30 | [Domestic demand for soybeans, export demand for corn keeps prices up - High Plains Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39175-domestic-demand-for-soybeans-export-demand-for-corn-keeps-prices-up-high-plains.md) | -0.9% | -3.4% |
| SBM | 2020-12-23 | [Soybeans gain as South American supply falters - Markets - Business Recorder](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49494-soybeans-gain-as-south-american-supply-falters-markets-business-recorder.md) | +4.2% | +6.7% |
| SBM | 2021-01-21 | [Teamsters protesting and blocking Argentine highways threaten domestic supplies and grain exports — MercoPress](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49135-teamsters-protesting-and-blocking-argentine-highways-threaten-domestic-supplies.md) | -1.0% | -1.5% |
| SBM | 2021-07-27 | [Argentina declares emergency due to low water levels in Paraná River - BNamericas](https://feedsoft.ai/events/45900-argentina-declares-emergency-due-to-low-water-levels-in-parana-river-bnamericas.md) | +0.8% | -1.9% |
| SBM | 2018-07-25 | [Report: Bunge to shutter Argentine soy crushing plant \| World-grain.com \| July 25, 2018 13:55 \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/63873-report-bunge-to-shutter-argentine-soy-crushing-plant-world-grain-com-july-25.md) | +3.7% | -1.2% |
| CORN | 2020-03-31 | [Amid Virus Crisis, Let’s Not Forget High Water - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/54028-amid-virus-crisis-let-s-not-forget-high-water-the-waterways-journal.md) | -2.6% | -11.2% |
| CORN | 2025-08-15 | [Surging Grain, Soybean Exports Buoy Covered Barge Market - The Waterways Journal](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23511-surging-grain-soybean-exports-buoy-covered-barge-market-the-waterways-journal.md) | +2.6% | +5.0% |
| CORN | 2026-01-26 | [Cold weather impacts North American grain markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/21055-cold-weather-impacts-north-american-grain-markets.md) | -0.3% | -0.5% |

## Sources

- hpj.com: https://hpj.com/2020/06/13/low-water-is-crippling-south-american-grain-highway/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.