The river shipping system is being plagued by low water on the Lower Mississippi River. “The water is so low in some spots they’re not able to take barges tied together three wide, they’re having to go down to two,” explained Joe Barker, commodity broker, CHS Hedging. “If normally you would have a 3×4 tow of barges, you only have a 2×4 tow of barges and you’ve lost 5,000 bushels per barge. You’re losing 40-to-45 percent of how much you’re able to tow up and down the river at a time.” Gulf exporters have reportedly pulled offers for October and November due to the uncertainty with shipping. Basis has been affected in the area.
