Paraguay: Ernesto Julián Benítez Petters, the president of Industria Nacional del Cemento (INC), has reassured the market that the company can continually to operate normally despite low water levels in the Paraguay River. He reported that, in the fourth quarter of 2022, boats were loading with 1.5m of draft, according to the Última Hora newspaper. This has meant that barges can only accommodate around half of their normal capacity. Benítez Petters added that it is uncertain when the river will recover its previously normal water levels.
The state-owned cement producer says it has enough raw materials to keep its plant operating at Villeta as it has used more barges to cope. It also conducted maintenance works at the docks of both its Viletta and Vallemí plants in 2021. Widening work at the Paso Queso on the river is a long term goal of the government.