Railroad and Maritime Trade
Surging energy markets are quickly becoming a cost story for U.S. agriculture as crude oil climbs on supply fears tied to the Middle East conflict.
Logistics remain firm, but freight costs continue to rise.
ASFMRA’s George Baird shares insight on spring planting progress, acreage trends, and the financial factors influencing Mid-South farmers this season.
Rail logistics remain supportive, with access to Mexico improving
Strong export demand supports barge markets, but weather risks remain.
Reliable canal infrastructure supports long-term access to global agricultural markets.
Rail consolidation could affect grain basis, freight rates, and service reliability across major producing regions.
For the broader agricultural industry, a railroad antitrust case in Kansas could lead to the dismantling of legacy regulatory shields, creating a more fluid, market-driven transportation grid that prioritizes moving crops efficiently over protecting historic rail monopolies.
Weskan Grain CEO Will Bramblett discusses the antitrust lawsuit filed by grain farmers and agribusinesses, and its potential implications on rail competition and market access.
Adequate transportation capacity exists, but fuel costs and soft river demand could widen basis risk.
Tight storage could widen basis and limit marketing flexibility.
Agriculture remains a key drag on regional growth amid weak prices and policy uncertainty.
RealAg Radio host Sean Haney outlines the Trump Administration’s current trade priorities and what meaningful market expansion looks like for farmers.
Lower freight costs helped sustain export demand amid a challenging pricing environment.
OOIDA’s Lewie Pugh discusses the EPA’s new Right to Repair guidance and other regulatory developments impacting the trucking and agriculture industries.
Strong rail demand and higher fuel costs raise transportation risk even as barge and export flows stabilize.
Reliable waterways lower costs, protect export demand, and support long-term farm profitability.
Mike Steenhoek of the Soy Transportation Coalition shares how extreme winter weather is affecting the ag transportation network and what producers should keep in mind as conditions slowly improve.
Rail continues to carry a larger share of the grain load, increasing sensitivity to rail capacity, labor, and pricing conditions.
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition discusses supply chain challenges facing agriculture as snow, sleet and ice threaten most of the Eastern U.S.
The Surface Transportation Board rejects the proposed Norfolk Southern–Union Pacific merger, prompting concerns from agricultural shippers about rail consolidation, service reliability, and higher transportation costs.