Grain transportation showed significant declines across multiple shipping modes, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's weekly Grain Transportation Report released August 21.
U.S. Class I railroads originated 23,951 grain carloads during the week ending August 9, a 10 percent decrease from the previous week. Despite the weekly decline, rail shipments remained 6 percent higher than last year and 13 percent above the three-year average.
Barge movements experienced an even steeper drop, with 667,350 tons of grain shipped for the week ending August 16, representing a 22 percent decrease from the previous week and 5 percent less than the same period last year.
The report showed 442 grain barges moved downriver, 108 fewer than the previous week. In the New Orleans region, 443 grain barges were unloaded, a 24 percent reduction from the week before.
Ocean shipping also slowed, with only 11 oceangoing grain vessels loaded in the Gulf during the week ending August 14—48 percent fewer than the same period last year.
Export sales reflected similar trends, with unshipped balances of corn and soybeans totaling 8.82 million metric tons, down 22 percent from the previous week.
