Participation in a trucker strike in Brazil weakened its second day, as the number of blockages on highways fell to 11 from 17 the night before, according to police. Truckers in Brazil resumed roadblocks across the country's main farm belt early on Thursday, after failing to reach common ground in talks with the government and freight companies regarding pay and fuel prices. Brazil is in the final weeks of a record soybean harvest, and global traders and futures markets have also kept a close watch on the strike for any signs of disruptions to supplies of sugar, coffee, soybeans, beef and orange juice. Highway police said in their latest report, published on Friday morning, that adherence to the strike fell in Rio Grande do Sul and Parana, from five blockades to one in each of the southern grain states. Participation climbed slightly in the main grain state of Mato Grosso in the center-west from six to seven points of blockage. In early March, truckers had agreed to end a strike that choked off deliveries of food, fuel, exports and industry supplies for more than two weeks. At that time, the number of blockages reached more than 100 points along highways. Truckers entered talks soon after to try to secure a national scale for freight rates and lower diesel prices. But transport and logistics companies have resisted accepting set rates for freight in negotiations with truckers. The government said it would not lower diesel prices. Passenger cars and critical services such as police, fire workers and ambulances are moving normally through the blockades, with striking truckers parked along the shoulder of roads near towns. Trucks carrying dry bulk such as soybeans, corn, fertilizer and other non-perishables risk vandalism to their vehicles if they attempt to drive past protest lines. Representatives from Brazil's main southern ports said late on Thursday the delivery and loading of grains and dry bulk commodities were not yet affected by the strike and they did not expect an impact unless the strike carried on for several days. (Reuters)