# Grain Transportation Report, October 19, 2023

> USDA's Grain Transportation Report of October 19, 2023 notes a record low river gauge at Memphis on the Mississippi, with an official reading of -11.52 feet and an unverified -11.98 feet on October 17. Records were also set on the Ohio at Cairo and the Missouri at New Madrid, and draft and tow restrictions remain along the entire system. St. Louis spot barge rates fell for a third week to $23.06 per ton, down 68 percent year over year.

- Date: 2023-10-19 · published 2023-10-19T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude high
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16592-grain-transportation-report-october-19-2023
- Commodities: [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md), [Soybeans](https://feedsoft.ai/c/SOY.md), [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md)

## Why it matters

Low water restricts barge loadings and pushes grain to alternative routes, which weakens basis at Mississippi elevators. Lower barge rates this year reflect weak export demand rather than easing constraints, so the freight signal is mixed.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- BARGE: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2024-10-17 | [Grain Transportation Report, October 17, 2024](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16503-grain-transportation-report-october-17-2024.md) | +2.1% | +2.9% |
| CORN | 2024-10-24 | [Grain Transportation Report, October 24, 2024](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16498-grain-transportation-report-october-24-2024.md) | -1.3% | +1.0% |
| CORN | 2023-01-19 | [Grain Transportation Report, January 19, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37805-grain-transportation-report-january-19-2023.md) | -1.6% | -1.2% |
| CORN | 2023-12-21 | [Grain Transportation Report, December 21, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/32731-grain-transportation-report-december-21-2023.md) | +3.0% | -1.6% |
| CORN | 2023-11-30 | [Grain Transportation Report, November 30, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33061-grain-transportation-report-november-30-2023.md) | +3.6% | +5.8% |
| SOY | 2024-10-24 | [Grain Transportation Report, October 24, 2024](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16498-grain-transportation-report-october-24-2024.md) | -2.1% | -0.7% |
| SOY | 2023-01-19 | [Grain Transportation Report, January 19, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/37805-grain-transportation-report-january-19-2023.md) | -1.4% | +0.1% |
| SOY | 2023-12-21 | [Grain Transportation Report, December 21, 2023](https://feedsoft.ai/events/32731-grain-transportation-report-december-21-2023.md) | -0.2% | -6.4% |

## Sources

- doi.org: https://doi.org/10.9752/ts056.10-19-2023

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