URBANA, Ill. (RFD NEWS) — Farmers may face wider basis swings and higher marketing risk as U.S. grain storage expansion has effectively stopped while crop production continues to grow. Economists at the University of Illinois warn that the imbalance could create bottlenecks across the supply chain from farm bins to export terminals.
From 2000 to 2019, national storage capacity increased about 350 million bushels annually, closely matching production growth. Since 2020, capacity has barely increased—only about 337 million bushels in six years—even as large crops returned. The 2025 harvest pushed storage utilization to some of the highest levels in decades, with on-farm bins about 80 percent full as of December.
Higher utilization increases the risk that transportation disruptions—such as low Mississippi River levels— will amplify local price discounts. Farmers are increasingly carrying more grain on-farm, shifting storage responsibility away from elevators while investment in new infrastructure slows.
Analysts point to higher construction costs, elevated interest rates, and uncertain returns as reasons expansion stalled.
Cattle imports from Mexico remain stalled amid the New World screwworm outbreak. At the same time, Tyson closures add pressure on Nebraska producers and markets ahead of the USDA’s upcoming Cattle on Feed Report.
December 08, 2025 01:55 PM
·
Southern producers head into 2026 with thin margins, tighter credit, and rising agronomic risks despite scattered yield improvements.
December 08, 2025 12:04 PM
·
Record yields and exceptionally low BCFM strengthen U.S. corn’s competitive position in global markets.
December 08, 2025 12:00 PM
·
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
December 07, 2025 12:00 PM
·
Credit stress is building for row-crop farms despite steady land values and slight price improvements.
December 06, 2025 03:00 PM
·
Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Commission, shares his outlook on current grain stocks and transportation lines amid bumper crops filling bins across the United States.
December 05, 2025 02:18 PM
·
The FAO Food Price Index for November fell by more than 1 percent in November, marking the third straight month of declines.
December 05, 2025 11:54 AM
·
Working capital is tightening for crop farms, increasing reliance on operating loans even as land values steady in the broader sector.
December 04, 2025 02:59 PM
·
Higher ocean freight raises export costs just as global grain competition intensifies.
December 04, 2025 02:50 PM
·
