Hurricane Harvey stands to harm virtually all of U.S. agriculture, in some way. Many ports that ship agricultural commodities are in the path of the storm, from Texas to Louisiana, where the majority of corn and soybeans destined for other nations leave the United States. Texas produces high volumes of cotton, wheat, rice, and soy and is a large exporter of crops from around the country. Some of the regions impacted by the storm are expected to see about a years-worth of rainfall this week, causing flooding and stressing infrastructure. Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition says that until the storm passes, they will not be able to assess the structural integrity of railroad tracks or bridges. And because of these transportation issues, grain elevator operators, which will have reached capacity, will discourage farmers from delivering crops by lowering the commodity prices that farmers are usually paid. Steenhoek told DTN: “From a soybean and corn logistics perspective, the larger concern occurs if the consequences of Harvey extend farther east to the 230-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico.”
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.