(The Associated Press circulated the following on June 23.)
PUEBLO, Colo. — Railroads are taking extra steps this year to provide transportation for eastern plains farmers’ crops, a year after tons of grain spoiled in grain elevators and on the ground.
Rep. John Salazar, D-Colo., said Union Pacific and the BNSF railroads have told him they are pre-positioning rail cars to be ready for the wheat harvest.
Part of the problem in 2007 was that the railroads and grain elevator operators didn’t anticipate the large harvest and didn’t have adequate transportation.
Blizzards in late 2006 helped boost wheat production to a record 89 million bushels in 2007. This year’s crop is expected to be around 70 million bushels.