Grain shipments by rail have seen a steady decline since the start of the year

New data shows a sharp drop in grain shipments via rail this year. The nine percent drop marks the single largest decline across all commodity classes.

According to the Association of American Railroads, since the beginning of 2023, the number of rail cars hauling grain fell by nearly 20,000 cars a week year over year.

The week through June 17th saw a 24 percent drop from the same period last year. However, other farm products and food shipments were up nearly 2 percent averaging more than 16,000 cars a week.

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