Missouri Ag Department officials tell Brownfield the Mississippi River at St. Louis has fallen enough to allow commercial navigation to resume. They say grain elevators are re-opening to accept grain after being shut for two weeks. Even so, spring flooding will likely affect Missouri farmers through the entire growing season. Missouri Ag Director Chris Chinn says planting prospects for many are not encouraging. “It’s depressing, to be quite honest,” said Chinn, referring to planting delays. Chinn tells Brownfield farmers without levee protection may not even plant at all, and those near over-topped levees will be drying out for a long time.
