For the week ending Aug. 4, barge tonnages on the locking portions of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas rivers dropped 10% compared to the previous week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Weekly corn tonnages dropped 6% while soybeans dropped 22%, the USDA said in its weekly Grain Transportation Report (GTR). Mississippi River barge traffic was delayed in the St. Louis area, with ongoing repair work at Melvin Price Locks and Dam,where the main chamber will be closed until Aug. 10, the USDA said. Traffic is passable through Melvin Price’s smaller auxiliary chamber, however, there are delays in the two-to-four day range.
Year-to-date corn barge shipments were 14.4 million tons, 5% lower than last year. Year-to-date soybean tonnages were 7.1 million tons, 8% lower than last year, according to the GTR.
For the week ending Aug. 4, barge grain movements totaled 809,963 tons, 11% lower than the previous week and down 5% from the same period last year. For the week ending Aug. 4, 506 grain barges moved downriver, 83 barges less than the previous week, the USDA said. There were 731 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 23% lower than the previous week.
