Combining Development With Tradition: New Barges Join LDC’s Logico Paraguay Fleet 99
The addition of 14 new jumbo barges to LDC’s Logico Paraguay fluvial freight fleet marks an important step in strengthening regional export logistics, in this case by expanding our fluvial transport capacity to support continued business growth in Paraguay.
From the designation of a ‘godmother’ for each barge to the symbolic bottle-breaking, the launch ceremony for our new barges honored local traditions while celebrating the future and its many possibilities, reflecting LDC’s commitment to both sustainable growth and integration with the community.
The ceremony took place on a sunny August morning last year, at the Chaco Paraguayo Shipyard in Asunción, with the attendance of Paraguayan government representatives, members of LDC’s senior management team, as well as local employees and partners. The event marked the beginning of the nautical life of the first of 14 new barges built in the country, through traditions such as a blessing for safe navigation, the official barge naming and the time-honored bottle-breaking ritual, which connects generations of sailors and shipbuilders and invokes protection for the vessel and those who operate it.
On this occasion, the designated godmother of this barge was Camila Casal, from LDC’s HR team in Paraguay. Besides the honor of being forever linked to a vessel that will undertake thousands of journeys, Camila never imagined she would inaugurate it alongside the President of Paraguay. Together, they cut the thread holding the traditional bottle that would break, moments later, against the barge’s hull at the first attempt – which is believed to be a sign of good fortune!
“This launch represents LDC’s expansion in Paraguay and means a lot to our local team as well as those behind the construction, for whom it was a tribute beyond the symbolic traditions,” shared Camila. “Being crafted by local hands, the barges feel truly ours – and that gives us immense pride.”
Camila took home a fragment of the broken bottle, wrapped in a ribbon with the Paraguayan flag colors, with the intention to frame it as a lasting memento of a milestone and ceremony that celebrated tradition, progress and local craftsmanship.
The new barges represent a significant enhancement for LDC’s logistics strategy in the region and bolster our capacity to address growing global demand for agri-commodities via lower carbon transportation solutions, since the carbon footprint for transport via barges is nine times smaller than truck transport and about half that of rail transport.
With this fleet, LDC primarily transports soy, soy derivatives (meal and oil) and corn from various ports in Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil to ports in Argentina and Uruguay, where they are processed by the company and/or transshipped to ocean-going vessels for subsequent shipment to global destinations. On the return journey to Paraguay, the upstream flow supports the import of other agricultural goods – such as fertilizers – for the domestic market.
“By investing in local shipbuilding and Paraguayan talent, LDC reaffirms its long-term commitment to growing with the country, expanding its business activities in the region and driving sustainable development and solutions for global markets,” said Alejandro Calabrese, LDC’s Country Manager for Paraguay.
Since last August, the 14 new barges have progressively entered service along the Paraguay-Paraná waterway: all of them are now in operation, actively transporting dry bulk commodities such as soy, corn and flour – key exports for the region..
Each barge has a capacity of 2,500 tons, bringing a combined additional cargo volume of 35,000 tons to our Logico Paraguay fluvial freight business, enabling us to better meet seasonal demand peaks, reduce turnaround times and strengthen logistics solutions across the Southern Cone.
This interactive map of Paraguay shows how agricultural goods move from Paraguay through South America’s inland waterways to reach international markets. Follow the journey from origin to export:
Step 1: From the heart of Paraguay
Agricultural products are collected from farms and processing centers across Paraguay and transported to the capital, Asunción.
Step 2: Navigating Through Latin America
From Asunción, goods travel south along the Paraguay and Paraná Rivers, passing through Argentina. This river corridor enables efficient bulk transport, connecting landlocked Paraguay to major regional trade routes.
Step 3: Argentine and Uruguayan Ports
The journey ends at deepwater ports like Rosario, in Argentina, and Nueva Palmira, in Uruguay. From these export terminals, Paraguay’s agricultural goods are shipped to markets around the world.