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Transportation snags impacting grain movement this fall and it could continue into spring

The American Farm Bureau says a perfect storm is creating transportation bottlenecks for farmers trying to move grain.

Andrew Walmsley, senior director of government affairs, tells Brownfield agriculture infrastructure has several critical areas that are suffering. “Driver shortages and high diesel prices on the trucking side.  You’ve got low water levels on the Mississippi and that whole river system into the Ohio and Missouri Rivers that is disrupting barge movements of grain down the river, which is critical for domestic movement but internationally.”

He says a rail strike could begin as early as November 19 but could be averted. “That will have less implications as we go into planting season and moving a lot of those critical inputs.  It just highlights how important rail is because the situation on our inland waterway system, the Mississippi River System, the forecasts aren’t looking great through January.”

Walmsley says diesel prices are likely to increase through early next year, which impacts the cost to move grain and inputs.

Andrew Walmsley, senior director of government affairs with AFBF: