Logistics leads Bunge to change investments

Sérgio Roberto Waldrich, CEO of Bunge Alimentos, announced that the company will invest in the construction of a new unit in Mato Grosso, that will substitute the operations of the unit in Rondonópolis (MT), today with static capacity to crush 5 thousand tons of soybeans a day.

The place where the unit will be installed is still a secret but, according to the company´s CEO, it will be closer to Ferronorte RR, in order to reduce costs with transportation. Today part of the transport of the soybean processed in Rondonópolis is done by highways. The margin obtained with the soybean corresponds to 10% of the logistic cost.   Therefore if the logistics are inadequate, the margin is negative, affirmed Waldrich. 

The new unit will have the capacity to process 4 thousand tons of soy a day and the production, says Waldrich, will be mainly destined to the oil production for biodiesel. The expectation is that the unit begins to operate in the end of 2008. “We are making a readaptation of the soy crush capacity in Brazil, to receive larger soy volume in the next harvest without compromising the logistics costs”, he said. According to the executive,  changes will also be promoted in the structure of other units, located in Luís Eduardo Magalhães (BA), Luziânia (GO), Uruçuí (PI), Ponta Grossa (PR) and Passo Fundo (RS). 

This year, Bunge will invest US$ 500 million in Brazil, same amount as in 2006. The company accomplished investments of US$ 110 million in the  Guarujá´s Grain Terminal  (TGG), inaugurated in March – a project accomplished in partnership with América Latina Logística (ALL RRR) and Amaggi (arm exporter of the Grupo Maggi). The terminal has capacity for 4 million tons of products and until 2010 it will be enlarged to 6 million tons. The company also invests in the Guaruja´s Marine Terminal (Termag), of Fertimport, ALL and Bunge, to enlarge the capacity of 1,4 million tons to 3 million up to 2010. 

Bunge will also invest in the Paranagua´s port, where the company already owns a port structure, but before that the group wait for the deepening of the sea-gauges for larger ships, told Waldrich. In March, he complemented, Bunge also began the construction of a wheat mill in Ipojuca (PE), with capacity to produce 825 thousand tons of wheat flour a year. The unit will receive US$ 63 million and  will enter in operation within three years. 

In the Waldrich´s evaluation , the grain 2006/07 harvest overcame expectations. According to him, Bunge processed 10% more grain. The company markets around 26% of the Brazilian soybean, and reached 58,04 million tons in the cycle 2006/07, according to the National Company of  Provisioning (Companhia Nacional de Abastecimento – Conab, in Portuguese).

Waldrich confirmed that the company obtained better profitability this year, but didn´t give details. In 2006, Bunge Alimentos registered gross sales of US$ 5,302 billion and a net loss of US$ 42.2 million. The harvest was better in volume, but was punished by the valorization of the Real front to the Dollar, that lowered from R$ 2.20 to R$ 1.90   per US$ 1.00, he observed. For him, there is the perspective of new harvest record in 2007/08.As the commoditie prices are better, everything leads to believe that the producers will invest in the productivity increase, he evaluated. 

The president of Bunge observed that the world grain stocks are low – mainly the wheat and the corn – and that the scenery indicates new increases in the international prices. The growing consumption of foods in Asia and the new demand for bioenergy makes the scene quite favorable to the farmers, he says. 

Still according to Waldrich, the country should also present good performance in the corn area. According to him, Bunge should export between 3 and 4 million tons of corn this year, what will be equal to approximately 40% of the Brazilian exports.

Fonte: Valor Econômico