Cash Market Moves

The recent spending bills signed by the president included money for U.S. waterways construction and maintenance. While that's good news, is it enough to fix and/or rebuild the aging lock and dam system?

The past year was difficult for corn and most crops -- from planting all the way through to harvest. As the year came to an end, most farmers were happy to put 2019 in the rearview mirror.

The U.S. Food and Drug Admiration Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2011 was the most sweeping reform of our food safety laws in more than 70 years. As compliance dates for certain rules have passed, it is important that all facilities be prepared...

After a rough start to the 2019 shipping season due to unrelenting flooding, the Upper Mississippi River has closed for the winter. Not far behind is the end to the grain shipping season on the Great Lakes.

From the start of planting and all the way through harvest, many farmers have had a very disappointing soybean season.

The final deadline for truckers to comply with the electronic logging device rule is fast approaching, but not without continued opposition from certain trucking groups.

Sugarbeet growers in eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota had to leave frozen beets unable to be harvested in the ground, with some losing a significant amount of their 2019 crop.

It has been a challenging fall for many farmers who are experiencing a late harvest with the added headache of having to dry wet corn for storage.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published a notice of proposed rulemaking in August on changes to hours of service (HOS) rules followed by a comment period, which recently ended.

The DTN national average soybean basis has been hovering below the minimum five-year average level for at least the past three years. Recently, it has been on a slow climb.

The Surface Transportation Board recently announced it is issuing a series of decisions on demurrage and accessorial rules and charges, a long-standing issue that has been slow to resolve.

The 2019 harvest spring wheat and durum season is mirroring the planting season (as in wet and late), and it's causing serious quality issues in parts of the spring wheat belt.

The 2019 hard red winter wheat harvest extended into September this year in the Northern states, but the Southern Plains harvest -- while late as well -- ended with a good-quality crop.

The Bonneville Lock and Dam located east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge, a crucial link for wheat exports to the Pacific Northwest, was shut down recently because of damage found in the lock.

After floodwaters receded late this past spring, the Illinois River faced planned lock and dam maintenance starting in June, once again stalling traffic that had been slowed by the spring floods.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration waived the trucking Hours of Service rule in 10 southeastern states and two U.S. territories ahead of Hurricane Dorian.

Flooding in 2019 has been cruel to the Mississippi River and has already cost the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers more money than usual for cleanup at locks and dams cluttered by flooding. Now, they are running out of money for dredging.

The DTN national average old crop basis has been below the minimum five-year average for the entire crop year.

Dredging the Lower Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf to 50 feet will allow both larger ships to be utilized and current ships being utilized to be loaded with more revenue-producing freight.

Record flooding up and down the entire Mississippi River most of 2019 has left behind a mess beneath the water for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.