Latest News From Infrastructure

The disruption caused by the dicamba vacatur is unlikely to be the only hurdle ag retailers face this year. ARA has identified this year’s public policy priorities that will steer its grassroots advocacy efforts.

Dredging the Mississippi River to a depth of 50' allows 500,000 more soybean bushels to be loaded per vessel, which helps lower freight rates and adds to the value of the soybeans exported.

The port of South Louisiana is the No. 1 export port for grain by volume in the U.S., so it's important for U.S. farmers getting their product to export markets. 

The Last Acre Act would help expand high-speed internet access across eligible farmland, ranchland and farm sites. At least 15% of farms and ranches have no access to the internet today. 

The Panama Canal is now cutting its daily ship transits by half this winter due to severe drought.

An increase in crushing capacity means there's going to be more soybean meal available for export. To prepare for that transition, infrastructure improvements are being made at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington.

The historically low water levels on the Mississippi River have caused a trifecta in the soybean market.  Its increased freight weights, slammed basis levels and taken a real toll on exports.

In total, $1.4 billion will go toward 70 projects in 35 states.

It’s game time says Soy Transportation Coalition executive director Mike Steenhoek, and key waterway infrastructure systems are not ready. 

The proposal from the STB would provide a streamlined path for rail customers to obtain a reciprocal switching order.

After record low water levels on many of the major rivers used for export movement in 2022, agriculture could see a repeat this fall.

Bill 3372 could lower greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate factors leading to supply chain backlogs, reduce damage to roads, and provide an extra set of brakes to improve stopping capacity and safety, one lawmaker says.

Seven U.S. states along the drought-starved Colorado River have reached a deal with the Biden administration to conserve water in a "historic consensus" to prevent supply problems for big cities as well as farmers.

Rural electric cooperatives, utilities and other energy providers will soon be able to apply for nearly $11 billion in grants and loans for clean energy projects, funded by the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act.

As the upper Mississippi River continues to rise, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says the worst is yet to come, with a top 10 flood crest not expected near the Quad Cities for as much as two more weeks.

For a developed country as large as the US, we are almost unique in our lack of robust rail capabilities. John Phipps answers a viewer's question about the possibility of updating the rail system to move grain faster.

Agriculture is watching the ongoing contract negotiations between the unions at West Coast ports as tensions rise. However, the unreliability of shipping has already caused a shift in business to East Coast ports.

What is the true cost of manufacturing green energies? John Phipps says in order to answer the question, it's important to first clear up confusion about what green even means.

STB Chairman Martin Oberman hosted a press conference—the first of its kind that he said anyone could remember—to explain more behind the decision, which approves the first major merger in 25 years. 

The writing may be on the wall for a transformation, but a pivot doesn’t have to be a 180° turn.

“When Ukraine fails, in terms of their ability to produce agricultural products, the world becomes less safe,” says Howard Buffett, global philanthropist and Illinois farmer.

With improved snowpack in areas such as Montana and precipitation through the midsection of the country late last fall and this winter, the Mississippi River and its tributaries could be back to normal by this spring. 

Has U.S. gasoline demand peaked? And what will more electric vehicles mean for gasoline prices down the road? John Phipps looks into the issue in John's World.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been dredging the river 24 hours a day, 7 days a week since July but hopes to finish very soon.

The House on Friday averted a government shutdown by voting 225 to 201 in favor of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023—the omnibus spending bill. Here's what's in it for ag.

The Fertilizer Institute applauded the passage of the legislation, which it dubbed an “integral” component of the fertilizer distribution system.

According to Biden’s economic advisors, as many as 765,000 Americans — many union workers themselves — would have been put out of work in the first two weeks of shutdowns.

Congress is stepping in to avert a nationwide railroad strike, which was set to happen as early as December 9.

With less than two weeks from a railroad strike deadline, President Biden plans to call on Congress to take action to avert a shutdown of the country’s freight railroads. . .

Harvest is nearing the finish line, but as corn continues to pile up, there are renewed concerns about what a possible rail strike could mean for the grain industry, as well as fertilizer needs this fall.

Rural America, and farmers especially are skeptical to put it mildly about electric vehicles and tractors. John Phipps says this attitude is reasonable, but also myopic, and explains why in John's World.

Unions are arguing railroads haven't done enough to address worker concerns, largely surrounding working conditions and paid time off.

Friday brought mixed news for the economy. So, is the U.S. officially in a recession? K-State economists say it's more important to watch changes in behaviors versus debating the definition of recession.

Agriculture isn't out of the woods regarding rail transportation issues as new demands are being made by at least one union.  

"The low water disruption will be felt not only by our U.S. producers of food, farm, and fiber but also by U.S. and international consumers as well," says Friedmann of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition.

The U.S. is projected to have record ag exports for the marketing year but is still posting a trade deficit.  Plus, headwinds such as slow water levels on the Mississippi River are adding to trade concerns.

A labor strike along U.S. railroads is still a possibility after the third-largest railroad union rejected a tentative labor agreement this week. The agreement had the support of the White House.

Harvest progress is up, but river levels are down. South of St. Louis, parts of the Mississippi River are so low from weeks of drought that barge traffic is being limited.

USDA unveiled additional plans to help boost domestic fertilizer production including $500 million in grants and reduce the risk of a series of black swans that have flown into the fertilizer market the past two years.

Have the Pacific Coast port bottleneck issues been resolved, or moved somewhere else? The East Coast may now be carrying the burden.

The details of the tentative agreement reached on Thursday morning have not been shared, and could still be voted down by members who need to ratify the agreement to settle the matter.

Rail shipments are already starting to shut down ahead of a possible strike which could begin as early as this Friday and it couldn't come at a worse time for agriculture. 

A rail strike is looming despite the majority of unions reaching tentative agreement with the rail companies, but the unions not on board are essential to the operation of the nation’s rail system. 

Grain shipments on some railroads could stop as early as Wednesday, two days ahead of a possible rail strike. A rail stoppage is growing more likely as the country’s main rail unions remain at odds with rail companies.

Widespread railroad disruptions could choke supplies of food and fuel, spawn transportation chaos, stoke inflation and cause $2 billion per day in lost economic output.

Tentative deals have been reached with three of the 12 rail unions and large U.S. freight railroads.  However, there's more work to do to avert a strike.

We often hear about government funding but little about how it is actually being used. These 289 projects funded by the USDA will cover everything from solar arrays to grain dryers.

From a train derailment outside Hereford, Texas, to growing concerns about a possible labor strike in mid-September, rail delays have been a severe pain point for the grain users and shippers all year.

Truckers protesting California's new "gig worker" law blockaded the state's third-busiest seaport for a second day on Thursday, stalling agricultural exports and threatening to worsen U.S. supply chain backups.

Biden spoke up in Massachusetts on Wednesday to deliver his administration’s executive action climate plans in lieu of Manchin’s decision, including offshore wind, bolstered utilities and workplace heat inspections.