Mike Pearson takes a look at how #harvest25 could be impacted by the dry weather conditions many are facing in the Midwest.
With harvest around the corner, America's waterways will soon turn into the grain and oilseed superhighway.
But shipping experts are becoming more concerned over recent trends.
Mississippi River gauges at St. Louis and Memphis tell a story. Right now, levels are still higher than they were at this time last year.
The Mississippi River is approximately 8 feet higher at St. Louis and 4.5 feet higher at Memphis than 2024.
Soy Transportation Coalition Director Mike Steenhoek points out the trend line is moving lower and that's raising concerns about restrictive barge traffic this fall.
Steenhoek notes that much of the Mississippi River volume south of Cario, Ill. comes from Ohio River.
Sixty percent of that water south of that point is Ohio River flow and August was very dry for the state's flowing into that watershed.
This means the Mississippi River could be headed for the same kind of challenges as 2024 when barge traffic was reduced and slowed to a crawl.
Even though St. Louis is still showing healthy levels the same supply chain principal applies. "You are only as strong as your weakest link."
And if that bottleneck develops further south, shippers and farmers will feel it.
For agriculture, the timing couldn't be worse.
The USDA is expecting a very large corn and soybean crop meaning exporters will need every bushel able to move smoothly to the Gulf of Mexico.
To add insult to injury, this could hinder soybean trade and stay competitive int he markets.
The Illinois River is also adding stress because if it's low, it adds issues to the export business. It is a touch lower than last year at this time but it is operating as normal.
Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness.