For the week ending May 15, total inspections of grain (corn, wheat, and soybeans) for export was 1.77 million metric tons (mmt), down 16% from the past week but 71% above last year and 8% above the three-year average, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Total inspections were down for each of the major grains. Despite the drop in total grain inspections, shipments to Asia ?remained strong and were 40% higher than the past week, according to the USDA's weekly Grain Transportation Report (GTR). Corn inspections were down 12% from the previous week but corn shipments were still above the three-year average. Outstanding export sales for the three major grains were also lower than the previous week but sales during the last four weeks were 162% above total outstanding sales for last year, the USDA said.
?In the barge market, during the week that ended May 17, barge grain movements totaled 705,932 tons, 1% lower than the previous week but 84% higher than the same period last year. Also, 456 grain barges moved down river, down 3.4% from last week and 567 grain barges were unloaded in New Orleans — up 15.2% from the previous week, the GTR said.
