Levels are falling again on the Mississippi River. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours.
For the third consecutive year, Mississippi River water levels are falling again, making shipping goods difficult. Farm Policy News says the low levels are forcing barge companies to put limits on how much cargo they can carry and cutting into farm profits.
It was only two months ago that much of the river was above flood stage north of St. Louis. As river levels fell steadily since then, barge companies had to limit the soybeans, grains, and other cargo they carry to prevent barges from getting stuck, which means less profits for farmers.
Approximately 60 percent of all U.S. grain exports are taken by barge down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where the corn, soybeans, and wheat get stored and then transferred for shipment to other countries. A group of 15 barges lashed together carries as much cargo as about 1,000 trucks.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.