Argentina agri exporters call for fresh tender in key transport river

BUENOS AIRES: Agricultural exporting firms in Argentina, one of the world’s largest food suppliers, are urging the government to quickly re-do a tender process for a contract to maintain a key river route used to transport crops after the previous call fell apart this week.

Argentina exports 80% of its grains through the Parana River waterway, a route currently dredged by Belgian firm Jan de Nul.

Agro-export companies have previously requested the river be dredged even further to boost the flow of ships. Jan de Nul did not participate in the most recent tender process, which prosecutors described as riddled with irregularities and causing officials to scrap the auction altogether.

Presidential spokesman Manuel Adorni said the government had asked the competition watchdog to investigate “possible pressure from the sole bidder,” Belgian dredger DEME Group.

“We cannot delay this issue any longer,” said Gustavo Idigoras, the head of Argentina’s agricultural export chamber, on Thursday evening.

“We want the government to reopen the process, refine the tender, in three months issue a new call for bids so that three months after that it hears offers,” Idigoras told Reuters.

DEME said this week it did not know why others had not bid in the process. Last month, DEME had complained that the terms of the auction unfairly benefited competitor Jan de Nul.