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Moving grain to export

An operations manager with one of the largest shippers of grain on the country’s inland river system says higher yields are adding more pressure on the ability to export.

“One of the biggest things that the industry is looking at now is automation and dump times.  Farmers are busy, especially during harvest, and they need to move their trucks back to the farm as quickly as possible.”

Jeremy Schultz with Consolidated Grain and Barge says limited grain storage and transportation backlogs have added stress on the process of getting products to market.

He says their Rochelle, Illinois facility has transformed a county elevator to fill containers which move grain on rail and barges to overseas customers.  “Containers load a little bit differently than what the hopper trucks would.  The hopper trucks load directly out of an overhead structure and we’ve modified an overhead structure here at this facility in Rochelle to be able to load 20 foot and 40 foot containers for export.”

He says containers can be loaded within eight minutes, and increased marketing during harvest also helps move grain as fast as it comes off the field.

Schultz spoke with Brownfield during the recent Illinois Soybean Association Transportation Tour.

AUDIO: Interview with Jeremy Schultz