ASUNCION, Sept 9 (Askume) – Water levels in the Paraguay River have hit a record low in Asuncion, the capital of Paraguay, South America’s main granary, after a severe drought in upland Brazil caused the water table to dry up, hampering navigation in the Amazon’s coastal waterways .
Data from the National Meteorology and Hydrology Service show that the depth of the Paraguay River (measured with a “zero” index rather than the river bed) has fallen below -0.82 meters, breaking the record low set in October 2021. The agency expects rivers to continue falling in the absence of rain.
Water levels in Argentina’s Parana River around grain hub Rosario are also near their lowest of the year. Both the Paraguay and Parana rivers originate in Brazil and empty into the ocean near Buenos Aires. They are vital routes for soybeans, corn and other trade.
“In the northern sector (of the Paraguayan waterway), navigation has almost stopped due to a sharp drop in water levels,” Paraguayan oilseed and grain crusher CAPPRO told Askume in written comments.
The Chamber of Grain Traders, whose members account for about 60% of Paraguay’s soybean exports, said low river levels had affected shipments but the impact was limited as it was not peak trading season.
“Ships have had to carry less cargo than their normal cargo capacity on average,” CAPPRO said . “This has led to delays and longer travel times . “
Not much rain is expected
The Paraguay–Paraná System is a waterway over 3,400 kilometres (2,113 mi) long that passes through Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and inland Paraguay and Bolivia.
Paraguay is the world’s third-largest exporter of soybeans, with about 80% of its grain transported by water to downstream ports. Argentina is the largest exporter of processed soybeans, most of which enter the Paraná River around the river port city of Rosario.
Jorge Sanchez, deputy director of Paraguay’s meteorology and hydrology service, said that despite the arrival of the traditional October-November rainy season, the outlook for river levels in the coming months is not optimistic.
“This will provide some relief to the river, but it’s not expected to be enough,” Sanchez said.
Rainfall is expected to be below normal in the second half of the year due to the La Nina weather phenomenon, causing dry, cool weather in Paraguay and Argentina but generally wet weather in northern Brazil.
But Sanchez said the onset of La Niña this year was delayed and its effects would only be felt between October and November. “A lot of changes are happening because of climate change,” he said.
In Brazil, which has also seen record wildfires , low water levels have isolated some communities in the Amazon and affected shipments of soybeans and corn to central and western states such as Mato Grosso, Brazil’s top grain-producing region.
