Infrastructure
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Biden administration announced funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build a “convenient and equitable” charging network of 500,000 stations.
Through a collaboration with Ford Pro, Ford Motor Company’s commercial division, Wilbur-Ellis will initially integrate 10 of the new Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks into its fleet in California.
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.
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 Reached with Some Rail Unions and Railroads: Still More Work to do to Avert a Strike
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.
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.
A potential stoppage on the nation’s railways this fall is spurring concern, even after President Biden signed an executive order Sunday to keep U.S. rail traffic on track and the collective bargaining process going.
As a Sunday deadline loomed, Biden signed an executive order to create a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB). The move was an essential step in keeping the collective bargaining process on track and railways operating.
As labor negotiations continue between the railroads and unions, laborers voted to go on strike Monday unless President Biden intervenes. A potential strike would put additional strain on the fragile U.S. rail system.
The move is contingent on legislative action, which would temporarily lift the 18.3 cents tax per gallon on gasoline and 24 cents tax per gallon on diesel during the summer months.
Last week, ARA put out a member alert detailing three urgent matters that need attention by the federal government
As March prepares to make its exit this week, the U.S. pork industry received some long-awaited news. Dale Moore, executive vice president at AFBF, said it’s absolutely good news during a conversation on AgriTalk.
Canada’s Minister of Labour Seamus O’Regan Jr, who mediated the talks, said normal operations will continue at CP during the arbitration period.
A labor dispute that shut down operations at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd on Sunday is set to aggravate a shortage of commodities, and a prolonged lockdown could hurt farmers ahead of the spring planting season.
Hot-button issues in agriculture and rural America are sometimes subject to filters via message and messenger, contends Chris Gibbs.
Expect Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to dominate the State of the Union address tonight. As for issues affecting agriculture, there may be few details offered, says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.
If international trade were an Olympic sport, then the U.S. would have lost this latest round of competition by more than a mile.
Rep. Garamendi says the USDA partnership with the Port of Oakland “isn’t going to solve the problem” because shippers deliver product to the U.S. and leave ports with empty containers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will use $732 million in federal infrastructure funding to modernize a lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River crucial for shipping grain and soybeans to export markets.