NGFA outlines actions for improving transportation infrastructure
(Posted on 06/02/23)
The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) in the USA has outlined recommended actions for Congress to incentivize better rail service, improve trucking capacity and continue modernizing U.S. inland waterways. NGFA submitted the comments for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s 1 February hearing on the state of transportation infrastructure and supply chain challenges.
The NGFA, established in 1896, consists of grain, feed, processing, exporting and other grain-related companies that operate more than 8,000 facilities handling U.S. grains and oilseeds.
NGFA urged Congress and the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to take appropriate action to provide clearer rules to incentivize better rail service and prevent a repeat of rail service failures that escalated in 2022.
“The impact of unreliable rail service is felt across the NGFA membership, lowering production and increasing the cost of transportation of ethanol, biodiesel, soybean oil, soybean meal, flour, animal feed, meat and other products derived from grain and feed,” NGFA noted. “Too much of the cost of unreliable and unchallengeable rail service is borne by rail customers, agricultural producers and the general public.”
NGFA outlined its support for the following rail provisions:
- Congressional passage of another STB reauthorization, which expired in 2020, with an eye toward fostering competition in the freight rail system.
- The Reliable Rail Service Act, introduced by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., in the last Congress, to better define rail carriers’ common carrier obligation.
- STB’s pending reciprocal switching rules to enable the creation of rail-to-rail competition at qualifying interchanges.
- STB’s efforts to require additional data reporting, particularly for first-mile/last-mile rail service.
- STB rules to incentivize rail carriers to more efficiently use customer-owned railcars.
- Removing constraints on STB’s investigative authority.
- Expanding STB’s enforcement ability for rail carriers that do not comply with STB orders.
NGFA also urged Congress to add trucking capacity and efficiency by increasing truck weight limits and recommended congressional oversight of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) investments to modernize locks and dams. Barges on the Mississippi River and Columbia-Snake River Systems move about half of all grains to export grain elevators, NGFA noted, and critical farm inputs like fertilizer, feed and fuel are transported via the inland waterways system.
Latest News
Rio Tinto reaches four billion tonnes of iron ore shipped to China
(Posted on 22/07/24)Rio Tinto has celebrates the shipment of four billion tonnes of iron ore from the Pilbara in Western... Read more
Africa’s opportunity to build sustainable logistics networks across mining sector
(Posted on 18/07/24)Capt. Pappu Sastry, CEO of Adhira Shipping and Logistics (ASL) has said that Africa’s mining sector... Read more
Conditions on Simandou iron ore investment now satisfied
(Posted on 16/07/24)All conditions have now been satisfied for Rio Tinto’s investment to develop the Simandou high... Read more
ADM offers segregated, traceable soybean meal to European customers
(Posted on 12/07/24)ADM, a global leader in innovative solutions from nature, has announced that it is offering fully verified... Read more
Rio Tinto to install carbon free aluminium smelting cells
(Posted on 04/07/24)Rio Tinto will install carbon free aluminium smelting cells at its Arvida smelter in Québec,... Read more
Moonbound appoints ASL for long-term South African lithium logistics project
(Posted on 28/06/24)Moonbound Mining Ltd. has appointed Adhira Shipping and Logistics (ASL) as its logistics contractor... Read more
ADM and Bayer collaboration help farmers achieve lower carbon emissions
(Posted on 19/06/24)ADM and Bayer have announced an extension of their collaboration, working with farmers in a bid... Read more
US House appropriations bill includes reinstatement of NASS reports
(Posted on 14/06/24)A House appropriations subcommittee in the USA has approved its Fiscal Year 2025 bill that includes... Read more
Rio Tinto to acquire Mitsubishi’s stake in Boyne aluminium smelter
(Posted on 14/06/24)Rio Tinto has agreed to acquire Mitsubishi Corporation’s 11.65% interest in Boyne Smelters Ltd... Read more
Richards Bay Minerals’ renewable energy agreement
(Posted on 07/06/24)Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) has signed a renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with Khangela Emoyeni... Read more
