WASHINGTON, DC, US — Export sales helped power grain movement through the Mississippi River System (MRS) to their strongest performance of 2024 during the week ended Dec. 28, according to a report from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the US Department of Agriculture.
In its weekly report on Jan. 2, the AMS said 945,000 tons of grain moved southbound through the locks on the MRS, marking the largest movement of the year and the best since the week ended May 28, 2022, when 947,000 tons of grain moved through the locks.
During the same week, 500,000 tons of corn moved through the locks, which was also the largest weekly volume this year and the highest for the last week of a year since 497,000 tons were moved in 2020. Soybeans totaled 410,000 tons, which likewise marked the largest volume for the last week of a year since 2020, when 482,000 tons were moved.
“Recent increases in export sales of corn and soybeans have been driving the rise in grain movements, despite tow and draft restrictions along the MRS,” the AMS said. “Record cold temperatures are expected in the Ohio Valley and the Mississippi Valley in the next two weeks, which could affect barge movements along the MRS.”
