Feds Order Trains to Deliver Grain to California Chickens

Federal regulators have ordered Union Pacific railroad to honor specific service commitments to Foster Poultry Farms in Livingston, California.

The order from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board (STB) was in response to Foster Farms Dec. 29 petition for emergency service as a result of continued deterioration in rail service from Union Pacific. Foster Farms sought the board’s assistance to ensure the supply of grain necessary to feed the company’s millions of chickens and thousands of cattle.

The order was the second emergency order issued in the past year related to delivery problems at Foster Farms as the railroad struggled with a shortage of crews.

The STB’s ordered Union Pacific to deliver specific train sets of animal feed to Foster Farms on the time schedule specified by Union Pacific in order to avert a potential significant loss of livestock, and requires the railroad to provide a status update and to inform the Board and Foster Farms in writing of any need to deviate from its proposed schedules.

Union Pacific said last month’s extreme cold and blizzard conditions slowed deliveries in 20 of the 23 western states in which it operates. Railroad spokesmen said the problems at Foster Farms should improve once five trains hauling corn that are already en route arrive.

Foster Farms has an estimated 40 to 50 million chickens at its facilities in California’s San Joaquin Valley, and has been buying truckloads of corn while it awaits the grain trains to arrive.