(The following article by Scott Waltman was posted on the Aberdeen American News website on December 12.)
ABERDEEN, S.D. — More railroad cars are apparently on their way to the Great Plains to help reduce the backlog of grain at many elevators.
South Dakota’s congressional delegation has been pushing for such action.
Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., said things should start getting better soon. He said he has spoken with Roger Nober, federal Surface and Transportation Board chairman.
“The chairman . . . has spoken with (Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railway) and reported that they were moving to reallocate resources,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he has heard from some grain elevators in South Dakota that are having to wait five or six weeks for trains. That delay, he said, is too long.
Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., agrees. Like Johnson did last week, he sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture asking it to “reinstitute comprehensive plans to evaluate and correct agricultural transportation infrastructure programs in South Dakota and across the country.”
More rail cars are needed in this part of the country because delays have left “significant quantities of corn and soybeans piled on the ground and awaiting transportation,” Daschle said.
Nober said that a good harvest has placed increased demand on the rail system, Johnson said.
Johnson said the USDA’s efforts to stem the rail delay have been ineffective. That’s why he contacted Nober and the department.
The USDA had issued weekly grain transportation reports.
Daschle said the reports, called “Grain Transportation Prospects,” were started in 1998, but have been completely eliminated since President Bush was elected.
About 40 percent of the nation’s grain is moved by rail. With a good grain harvest backed by strong prices for the first time in years, the senators say it’s vital farmers are able to get their crops to market.