LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD NEWS) — Grain rail traffic remains steady early this year, with shifting secondary markets and new export routing options shaping movement into Mexico and the Southeast.
U.S. Class I railroads originated 27,108 grain carloads during the week ending February 7 — down 2 percent from the prior week but 6 percent above both last year and the three-year average. Secondary shuttle bids averaged $163 per car above tariff, narrowing sharply from a year ago and signaling less congestion pressure. Non-shuttle bids averaged $25 above tariff, also well below year-earlier levels.
BNSF Railway announced that beginning Monday (March 1st), its Mexico locations will qualify for single-destination efficiency trains carrying wheat. The 110-car unit trains can now move directly to Mexico without being split into blocks, streamlining cross-border wheat logistics. Over the first six weeks of 2026, 226,000 metric tons of wheat moved by rail to Mexico — 10 percent below last year.
In the Southeast, North Carolina committed $16.3 million in freight rail grants, supporting short lines that serve grain elevators and feed mills. The state imported more than 7 million tons of Midwest grain by rail in 2024.
Farm-Level Takeaway: Rail logistics remain supportive, with access to Mexico improving.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist
It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of
Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
October 25, 2023 09:00 AM
·
No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
October 24, 2023 11:32 AM
·
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, and the pampered cows get on-demand service. The team at Where the Food Comes From shares a special, behind-the-scenes account filming the show’s newest episode, Robot Dairy, premiering this Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at 9:30 p.m. ET on RFD-TV!
October 19, 2023 09:00 AM
·
How does a robot milk a cow?
October 18, 2023 09:00 AM
·
The machines do all the work at Hickory Hill Milk in South Carolina, where the pampered cows get on-demand service. They make a premium cream line of milk you still have to shake. It is so good it is used to make the world-famous Clemson blue cheese.
October 17, 2023 01:55 PM
·
The failure of a grain elevator can cause large problems for farmers and for the local community it serves. A farmer who knows their rights and where they stand if an elevator fails can be in a better position than those farmers who aren’t as well informed. That is the topic of today’s blog post by RFD-TV Legal Contributor Roger A. McEowen.
October 04, 2023 02:46 PM
·
