For the week ending Oct. 7, total inspections of grain (corn, wheat, and soybeans) for export from all major U.S. export regions totaled 2.86 million metric tons (mmt), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Total grain inspections were up 19% from the previous week, down 27% from last year, and up 11% from the three-year average, the USDA said today in its weekly Grain Transportation Report.
Grain inspections were the highest since mid-May, with soybean inspections jumping 87% percent from the previous week. Week to week, soybean shipments to China (1.17 mmt) rose over 200%, while wheat inspections fell 29% and corn inspections fell 14%, according to the GTR. Also, from the previous week, total inspections increased 45% in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and 1% in the Mississippi Gulf.
The big jump in PNW inspections was reflected in a significant jump in PNW rail deliveries of grain to port, the USDA said. The high week-to-week increases were a marked departure from the general trend: over the last four weeks, total inspections were 38% below last year and 21% below the three-year average.
