The latest Grain Transportation Report from the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service reveals a complex picture of the U.S. grain export and transportation landscape for the week ending December 19, 2024.
Key highlights include:
Total unshipped balances of corn, soybeans, and wheat reached 41.42 million metric tons, up 8% from the previous year.
Net corn export sales jumped 46% from the previous week to 1.71 million metric tons.
Wheat export sales increased by 34% to 0.61 million metric tons.
Soybean export sales declined 31% to 0.98 million metric tons.
U.S. Class I railroads originated 26,704 grain carloads, down 6% week-over-week but up 5% year-over-year.
Barged grain movements totaled 944,950 tons, a substantial 116% increase from the same period last year.
Gulf ports loaded 30 oceangoing grain vessels, 25% more than the same period last year.
The U.S. average diesel price rose to $3.503 per gallon, still 37.3 cents below last year's price.
These figures indicate a robust grain transportation sector, with particularly strong performance in corn exports and barge movements. The data suggests a dynamic market responding to various economic and logistical factors affecting the agricultural supply chain.
