News

Propane issues not affecting Missouri farmers

The head of the Missouri Propane Gas Association says the distribution issues in other states should be helped by a change made this week for truckers.

Steve Ahrens tells Brownfield Ag News it should ease the logistics problems seen in other states, “The federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued a waiver of the hours of service and that will let the truck drivers go longer to pick up loads.”

Ahrens says farmers in several states are struggling with getting propane but not for a lack of supply, “The epicenter of this, I think, is in Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota – a corn crop that’s coming in late. It was planted late, it’s being harvested late, it’s very wet. The temperatures have been changed so there’s a heavy demand right now for propane.”

Brownfield asked about Missouri, and Ahrens replied, “I think Missouri is not in that bad of shape but some of those other states are substantially behind schedule.”

Ahrens says they’re hopeful harvest ends before the end of November. And, he says, most homeowners who use propane were already locked in with their purchases and shouldn’t be affected.

Ahrens says there are record levels of propane supply and production and that s propane prices are good and have been amazingly stable in the last year or so.