It's hard to believe how much grain needs to be shipped down the Mississippi River to keep the massive elevators in New Orleans working at full capacity. If we're going to double yields over the next few decades, we've also got to invest in new facilities to get these valuable grains to market around the world.
River delays cost time and money. With smaller locks on the Upper Mississippi River, we can expect to lose as much as $500,000 a day until problems are addressed.
Barges move 1 ton of grain 500 miles on a single gallon of fuel. Compare that to semi trucks that moves 1 ton of grain only 60 miles on a single gallon, and you'll see why grain barges still hold the keys to grain export.
When aging infrastructure brings barges to a standstill for as long as 12 hours, all the design in the world can't save what amounts to $100 million in delay-related costs.
Farmers effectively grow and market their crops, but the grain still has to be transported to its final destination. Sometimes, this is a food processing plant 89 miles away, a local ethanol plant or an export market that requires barging grain down the Mississippi River.
With considerable talk taking place about the possibility of boosting average yields to 300 bushels of corn and 100 bushels of soybeans per acre by 2030, there are plenty of agronomic questions on how we can make this happen.
Lessiter Media., the publishers of Farm Equipment,No-Till Farmer and Rural Lifestyle Dealer, has launched a new 18-week video/blog series, entitled “Shipping Out.” The series, which is sponsored by Great Plains Manufacturing, Salina, Kan., chronicles Frank Lessiter’s journey on a Mississippi River grain barge carrying $5.4 million in cargo.
Neil Messick, Co-Owner, Brian Messick, President, and Jay Gainer, General Manager, discuss how the Messick’s dealership has grown over the past 75 years to now employ 350 people.
Since 1980, A&I Products has become a leading manufacturer and wholesale distributor of aftermarket replacement parts for the agricultural, turf, and industrial equipment markets. A&I Products' experience and expertise has greatly contributed to the company's reputation as a top supplier of quality, reasonably priced parts. Founded with roots as a small machine shop and repair facility, the company made the transition by manufacturing new parts to replace those that were identified as commonly needing repair. Throughout the 1980s, the company quickly garnered a reputation for offering quality parts at a reasonable price.
Built on 90 years of expertise, Yetter Farm Equipment leads the agriculture industry in designing effective and innovative equipment for residue management, seedbed preparation, precision fertilizer placement, harvest attachments, strip-tillage, and more.
At Machinery Scope, we believe you deserve the best risk management solutions for your investments in heavy equipment. Since 2013, we have been proud to offer extended warranty, appraisals, and inspections. Machinery Scope is a family-owned business built on our experience in farming and equipment dealerships. We understand your business and provide a personalized and professional level of customer service. Machinery Scope has built a strong warranty product with our customers in mind, offering the same professional level of service from the time you get a quote, through the processing of a claim.