Energy price fluctuations are of great interest to agricultural producers, but the present bearishness for international crude oil doesn t seem to be carrying over to domestic fuel.
In a region nicknamed for its resemblance to the Nile, low water levels have bottlenecked an important route for grain shipments and damaged the competitiveness of local cash grain markets.
Everything that moves in a barge relies on the Mississippi River to keep commerce moving. Given the longstanding drought, that has become a tall order to fill.
Barges have been trying to move the 2022 harvest down the Mississippi River, and other commodities, but low water levels have stopped their progress the past week. Impeded barge traffic is causing grain basis levels to widen and worries for farmers.