# Mississippi River grain elevator manager summarizes effects of low water levels - Brownfield Ag News

> A Mississippi River grain cooperative manager says record low water has forced fewer and lighter loaded barges, requiring 20-25% more barges to move the same grain. Shipping grain from Illinois to the Gulf now costs more than shipping from the Gulf to China. Rain is projected to raise the river about a foot, but normal levels will take more.

- Date: 2022-10-25 · published 2022-10-25T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/16677-mississippi-river-grain-elevator-manager-summarizes-effects-of-low-water-levels
- 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

Higher barge requirements and costs widen interior basis and push buyers to other origins, while the extended low-water outlook keeps logistics costs elevated into the winter.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 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% |
| CORN | 2025-10-15 | [Low Mississippi River levels threaten fall grain movement - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16417-low-mississippi-river-levels-threaten-fall-grain-movement-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +0.1% | +2.9% |
| 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 | 2026-05-26 | [Low Mississippi River Water Levels Raise Shipping Costs For Farmers — Louisiana Farm Bureau News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16362-low-mississippi-river-water-levels-raise-shipping-costs-for-farmers-louisiana.md) | -1.8% | -6.6% |
| 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% |
| SOY | 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) | -0.1% | +7.3% |
| SOY | 2024-10-16 | [Poor timing of low Mississippi River levels - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28040-poor-timing-of-low-mississippi-river-levels-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +0.1% | +1.3% |
| SOY | 2025-10-15 | [Low Mississippi River levels threaten fall grain movement - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16417-low-mississippi-river-levels-threaten-fall-grain-movement-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +2.4% | +10.6% |

## Sources

- brownfieldagnews.com: https://brownfieldagnews.com/news/mississippi-river-grain-elevator-manager-summarizes-effects-of-low-water-levels/

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