# Low river levels disrupt harvest logistics | Profitability | farmweeknow.com

> Low river levels on the lower Mississippi, the fourth consecutive year of such conditions, are restricting barge loads and tow sizes south of St. Louis. The Army Corps says the upper river remains fully open. Operators must make more trips to move the same volume, adding costs passed on to farmers.

- Date: 2025-10-22 · published 2025-10-22T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16414-low-river-levels-disrupt-harvest-logistics-profitability-farmweeknow-com
- 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

Lighter barge loads and extra trips raise freight costs and reduce the Gulf export capacity for grain, pressuring basis and widening the spread between Interior and Gulf prices.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-08-22 | [Low river levels expected to again impact barge traffic this fall \| Profitability \| farmweeknow.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16607-low-river-levels-expected-to-again-impact-barge-traffic-this-fall-profitability.md) | +1.6% | -9.0% |
| CORN | 2024-10-24 | [Low Mississippi River levels during harvest cut profits for farmers, freighters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28043-low-mississippi-river-levels-during-harvest-cut-profits-for-farmers-freighters.md) | -1.3% | +1.0% |
| 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 | 2025-10-01 | [Low Miss. River levels to disrupt harvest shipping for fourth straight year \| Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16418-low-miss-river-levels-to-disrupt-harvest-shipping-for-fourth-straight-year-agri.md) | +1.4% | +2.3% |
| CORN | 2023-09-18 | [High Barge Freight, Low River Levels Detrimental to Farmers at Harvest](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34292-high-barge-freight-low-river-levels-detrimental-to-farmers-at-harvest.md) | -8.5% | -6.6% |
| SOY | 2023-08-22 | [Low river levels expected to again impact barge traffic this fall \| Profitability \| farmweeknow.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16607-low-river-levels-expected-to-again-impact-barge-traffic-this-fall-profitability.md) | +1.8% | -4.0% |
| SOY | 2024-10-24 | [Low Mississippi River levels during harvest cut profits for farmers, freighters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28043-low-mississippi-river-levels-during-harvest-cut-profits-for-farmers-freighters.md) | -2.1% | -0.7% |
| 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

- farmweeknow.com: https://www.farmweeknow.com/profitability/low-river-levels-disrupt-harvest-logistics/article_dca52665-fcd6-4e0d-9478-177f8125f560.html

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