With the aim of reducing cargo transport costs and, consequently, lowering food prices, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor) announced that it has initiated studies for the reactivation of the São Francisco River Waterway. The project is being developed jointly with Codeba (São Francisco River Port Authority of the State of Bahia).
The initiative seeks to improve the supply of inland cities, with greater predictability in the arrival of essential products to the population. The expectation is that reactivation will increase the circulation of goods and create jobs in the transport, port operations, commerce and services sectors.
According to MPor, the navigable stretch of the waterway currently has 1,371 kilometers, between Pirapora, in Minas Gerais, and Juazeiro, in Bahia, as well as Petrolina, in Pernambuco; with capacity to serve 505 cities and approximately 11.4 million people.
The project includes investments to boost river navigability and expand infrastructure along the route, with Small-Scale Public Port Facilities (IP4). The proposal aims to guarantee riverside communities' access to waterway transport and consolidate logistics integration between inland regions.
The initiative foresees an initial movement of up to five million tons in the first year of operation. Among the main cargo anticipated are grains, such as soybeans, corn and cotton, as well as fertilizers and other agricultural inputs.
The Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca, stressed that the reactivation of the São Francisco Waterway expands the integration of regions that depend on the river as essential infrastructure. "The return of the Velho Chico waterway means bringing more development, reducing freight transport costs and connecting people."
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