A logistics expert is closely monitoring two transportation issues that could impact US corn and soybean farmers in 2023.
Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition says despite an increase in federal funding, the cost of maintaining infrastructure will continue to increase due to inflation, “This long wish list that’s developed over the years of things we’d like to do if funding became available, well, now funding is becoming available, but we’re not going to be able to check off as many of those boxes just simply because the cost of steel has gone up, the cost of concrete and asphalt has gone up, the cost of labor has gone up.”
With additional soybean crushing capacity ramping up, he tells Brownfield building out infrastructure for plants is a concern, too, “We export soybean meal already, but then the question is, what additional investments do we need?”
For example, Steenhoek says soybean industry partners have and will need to continue to fund transportation projects like the development at Port of Grays Harbor in Washington.
