# ANALYSIS - Ethanol producers drink to record low Mississippi River levels - Grain Price News

> Record low Mississippi River levels have left barges beached and grain stranded in the Midwest, trapping local supplies. Ethanol producers report improved margins, with ADM citing $0.52 per gallon for July-September and The Andersons returning its ethanol division to profit. Midwest basis has fallen sharply, reaching negative $0.46 per bushel at some southern Iowa river docks.

- Date: 2022-11-03 · published 2022-11-03T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/38671-analysis-ethanol-producers-drink-to-record-low-mississippi-river-levels-grain
- 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), [DDGS](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DDGS.md)

## Why it matters

Stranded corn and soybeans depress local cash prices relative to Chicago futures, giving ethanol plants and river-served buyers cheaper feedstock while farmers and elevators on the river face weaker basis. Feed buyers in the interior may see lower local grain costs even as freight-related disruption persists.

## Read by commodity

- SOY: bearish ▼
- CORN: bearish ▼
- DDGS: 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 | 2023-11-08 | [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discusses record low Mississippi River levels](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16585-u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-discusses-record-low-mississippi-river-levels.md) | +0.4% | -0.5% |
| CORN | 2024-09-11 | [The Mississippi River is running low again. It’s a problem for farmers moving beans and grain \| AP News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16508-the-mississippi-river-is-running-low-again-it-s-a-problem-for-farmers-moving.md) | +5.0% | +5.3% |
| CORN | 2025-09-25 | [Low water levels return to Mississippi River as harvest season begins \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16423-low-water-levels-return-to-mississippi-river-as-harvest-season-begins-feed-and.md) | -2.5% | -1.8% |
| 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 | 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% |
| SOY | 2023-11-08 | [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discusses record low Mississippi River levels](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16585-u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-discusses-record-low-mississippi-river-levels.md) | +1.5% | -3.9% |

## Sources

- grainpricenews.com: https://grainpricenews.com/2022/11/03/analysis-ethanol-producers-drink-to-record-low-mississippi-river/

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