Shrinking Mississippi River Puts American Farm Trade at Risks
The ebbing water flows have pushed barge prices to the highest in eight years right as the busiest season kicks off for key US crop exports. The world is in desperate need of the shipments to restock reserves diminished by Russia’s war in Ukraine. Fertilizer sent north from the US Gulf for growers to apply in preparation for next year’s crop is also under threat, raising the risk of price surges at a time of worsening food inflation.
