U.S. grain exports

Falling grain exports will affect US railroads’ capacity needs, expert says

Within the next 10 years, U.S. and Canadian grain exports could look very different from now. Stiff competition from other grain-producing countries and regions, such as Brazil, the area around the Black Sea and Australia, could pressure North American export volumes. Meanwhile, domestic production of biofuels, particularly biodiesel, is anticipated to grow.

What will these changes mean for the freight railroads, which transport grains from the Midwest and western Canada to the ports for export?...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/falling-grain-exports-will-affect-us-railroads-capacity-needs-expert-says

FreightWaves Classics: Port of South Louisiana is #1 grain exporting port

The Archer Daniels Midland Company Reserve plays a large role in making the port America's leading grain exporter. (Photo: Port of South Louisiana Facebook page)

There are three major ports in Louisiana – New Orleans, South Louisiana and Baton Rouge. The three ports extend some 172 miles on both banks of the Mississippi River. The channel from New Orleans to Baton Rouge up the Mississippi River has a 48-foot draft. The navigational depths along the river, its channels and side canals range from 12 feet to 48 feet.

While all three ports are important, this FreightWaves Classics article will focus on the Port of South Louisiana; the ports of New Orleans...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/freightwaves-classics-port-of-south-louisiana-is-1-grain-exporting-port

USDA shares forecasts for grain and farm exports

A photograph of a train with hoppers. The train is crossing a desert-like landscape.

U.S. grain volumes have been a bright spot for the railroads, with higher volumes reflecting export demand.

Indeed, grain carloads were up 23.2% year-to-date to 509,364 as of last Saturday, according to the Association of American Railroads (AAR).

Since September, grain rail carloads have consistently been above the levels of recent years. Due to high prices, plantings of corn and other crops have been above historical norms. (Source: SONAR)
To learn more about FreightWaves SONAR, click here.

But...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/usda-shares-forecasts-for-grain-and-farm-exports

More wheat to go west this spring: USDA

A photograph of a wheat field.

Changing volume projections for U.S. wheat exports could be reflected in freight flows this spring, with more volumes going toward the western ports and fewer volumes going to the Gulf Coast, according to recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE), a monthly report that estimates the production, storage and export volumes of various agricultural commodities, adjusted its projections for U.S. soft white wheat...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/more-wheat-to-go-west-this-spring-usda

Exports boost US and Canadian grain volumes

A photograph of hopper cars in a rail yard.

U.S. and Canadian railroads continued to move significant amounts of grain in November as export demand boosted grain movements.

Indeed, last month’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates U.S. soybean exports in the 2020-2021 crop year to grow to 2.2 billion bushels, compared with 1.7 billion bushels in 2019-2020. And Canadian wheat exports are expected to total around 25 million metric tonnes (MMTs) in 2020-2021, compared with...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/exports-boost-us-and-canadian-grain-volumes

Funding go-ahead for Mississippi River deepening seen as boon for exports

Sean Duffy has been waiting since 2012 for a critical development in a plan to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet. The wait ended on Friday with a partnership agreement from the state of Louisiana that authorizes the $250 million project to move forward.

“Having the state agreement is huge,” Duffy, executive director of the Big River Coalition, told FreightWaves. “We’ve been working with the state on this for eight years. They’ve told us the money was going to be there and that...

https://s29755.pcdn.co/news/funding-go-ahead-for-mississippi-river-deepening-seen-as-boon-for-exports