# Decade-low water levels on Mississippi River slow barges, disrupt food supply chain

> About 200 boats and 3,000 barges on the lower Mississippi were delayed in mid-October, according to the US Coast Guard. Tow sizes were restricted to 25 barges at a 9-foot depth, and the cost to ship a ton of corn or soybeans rose from $29 in early September to over $105 by mid-October.

- Date: 2022-11-04 · published 2022-11-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/10335-decade-low-water-levels-on-mississippi-river-slow-barges-disrupt-food-supply
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md)

## Why it matters

Sharply higher freight costs lower the net price farmers receive for grain and raise delivered costs for export buyers. Barge capacity constraints are likely to persist until river levels recover.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-09-07 | [Barge rates pressured by low Mississippi River water levels \| Supply Chain Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34291-barge-rates-pressured-by-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-supply-chain-dive.md) | -1.2% | -6.8% |
| CORN | 2024-09-16 | [Low Mississippi River water levels disrupt barge shipping for third consecutive year \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16507-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-disrupt-barge-shipping-for-third-consecutive.md) | +1.6% | +2.7% |
| CORN | 2023-10-09 | [How low Mississippi River water levels could disrupt grain harvests, again \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16594-how-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-could-disrupt-grain-harvests-again.md) | -0.2% | -3.4% |
| CORN | 2024-09-04 | [Low water levels on the Mississippi River impact barges and grain exports before harvest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16513-low-water-levels-on-the-mississippi-river-impact-barges-and-grain-exports.md) | -1.4% | +4.9% |
| CORN | 2026-01-27 | [Low water levels slowing grain flow down Mississippi River - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16391-low-water-levels-slowing-grain-flow-down-mississippi-river-brownfield-ag-news.md) | -0.7% | -0.4% |
| SOY | 2023-09-07 | [Barge rates pressured by low Mississippi River water levels \| Supply Chain Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34291-barge-rates-pressured-by-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-supply-chain-dive.md) | -1.8% | -6.4% |
| SOY | 2024-09-16 | [Low Mississippi River water levels disrupt barge shipping for third consecutive year \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16507-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-disrupt-barge-shipping-for-third-consecutive.md) | +2.6% | +1.9% |
| SOY | 2023-10-09 | [How low Mississippi River water levels could disrupt grain harvests, again \| Agriculture Dive](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16594-how-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-could-disrupt-grain-harvests-again.md) | +1.1% | +4.9% |

## Sources

- navprod.dailyherald.com: https://navprod.dailyherald.com/20221104/news/decade-low-water-levels-on-mississippi-river-slow-barges-disrupt-food-supply-chain/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.