For the week ending September 2, grain barge movements (GTR Table 10) on the locking portions of the Mississippi, Ohio, and Arkansas Rivers were 598,345 tons, 34 percent lower than last week, and 9 percent lower than the 3-year average for the first week of September.
Corn movements (255,764 tons) fell 39 percent from the previous week, while wheat movements were 43,181 tons, 42 percent lower than the week before. Soybean movements were 299,400 tons, 25 percent lower than the week before.
The drop in the weekly movements was due, in part, to the 3-day unscheduled closure of Mississippi River Melvin Price Locks and Dam, located near St. Louis, MO. There were also lock delays at Locks and Dam 52 on the Ohio River, LaGrange Lock and Dam on the Illinois River, and Kentucky Lock and Dam on the Tennessee River, which also affected last week’s barge movements.
