The flow of goods on a key Brazilian highway in northern Pará state to ports for export continued to be blocked by residents last week, reports Reuters. Local residents, merchants and farmers have been protesting on federal road BR163 since July 5th against a veto by President Michel Temer of legislation that would reduce the area under protection at a national forest in the region, according to Brazil’s federal highway police, the PRF.
BR-163 is a key road for trucks carrying soybeans and corn from centre-west farms to the trans-shipment hub of Miritituba. From there the grains are transported by barge to exporting ports including Santarém and Barcarena. Brazilian soybean industry association Abiove said the protests were impacting grain deliveries at the Miritituba hub, so barges were waiting longer to be filled up.