Mississippi River Decline Squeezes Grain Shipments and Basis Levels

From RFD-TV

Water levels along the Mississippi River have fallen to historic lows again this fall — throttling barge traffic and raising freight costs just as the Midwest harvest reaches full stride.

Gauges at St. Louis and Memphis are near record lows, forcing towboats to run lighter and with fewer barges per tow. For farmers moving corn and soybeans to export channels, that means slower flows, higher freight, and weaker local cash bids. Read the rest of the article here.