# Low Mississippi River levels cost soybean farmers up to $293 million - Talk Business & Politics

> A study by economists James Mitchell and Hunter Biram estimates Arkansas's 2022 soybean crop lost up to $293 million in value due to low Mississippi River levels. Memphis gauge readings reached minus 10.8 feet in October 2022 and a record minus 12 feet a year later. Barge draft restrictions and reduced tows limited commodity movement.

- Date: 2025-07-08 · published 2025-07-08T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: weather · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16438-low-mississippi-river-levels-cost-soybean-farmers-up-to-293-million-talk
- Commodities: [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Draft limits and fewer barges reduce river capacity and depress local soybean cash prices relative to futures. Recurring low water makes these basis and freight costs a repeated feature of the harvest.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| SOY | 2025-07-09 | [Study: Low Mississippi River levels costing Arkansas farmers millions in lost crop value \| Wynne Progress](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16439-study-low-mississippi-river-levels-costing-arkansas-farmers-millions-in-lost.md) | -2.9% | -5.4% |
| SOY | 2020-04-22 | [Report: Rice prices rise slightly, while corn, cotton and soybean farmers face historic lows - Talk Business & Politics](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6058-report-rice-prices-rise-slightly-while-corn-cotton-and-soybean-farmers-face.md) | -0.6% | +1.4% |
| SOY | 2025-07-03 | [Mississippi River Low Levels Hit Arkansas Soybean Crop Value Hard – SoyScape](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16437-mississippi-river-low-levels-hit-arkansas-soybean-crop-value-hard-soyscape.md) | -3.6% | -8.4% |
| SOY | 2026-10-22 | [Water Levels on Lower Mississippi River Starting to Run Low Again](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16332-water-levels-on-lower-mississippi-river-starting-to-run-low-again.md) | -2.3% | — |
| SOY | 2025-04-01 | [Estimating the Impact of Low Mississippi River Levels on Soybean Basis in the Midsouth \| Agriculture of America](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16456-estimating-the-impact-of-low-mississippi-river-levels-on-soybean-basis-in-the.md) | -3.1% | +2.6% |

## Sources

- talkbusiness.net: https://talkbusiness.net/2025/07/low-mississippi-river-levels-cost-soybean-farmers-up-to-293-million/

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