# Grain barge tonnage below average

> USDA reported that calendar year-to-date grain barge tonnage through April 21 was 9.1 million tons, 14% below the three-year average and 27% below 2017. High water from February rains, lock repairs on the Ohio and earlier low water have slowed traffic and cut tow sizes.

- Date: 2018-05-01 · published 2018-05-01T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/65382-grain-barge-tonnage-below-average
- 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

Reduced barge throughput and higher river freight rates raise the cost of moving grain to Gulf export positions, supporting barge freight and widening basis at interior origins.

## Read by commodity

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

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| CORN | 2023-10-06 | [US barged grain volumes down 29% from five-year average \| World Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/33827-us-barged-grain-volumes-down-29-from-five-year-average-world-grain.md) | -0.5% | -4.9% |
| CORN | 2026-10-23 | [New Orleans Grain Barges Hit 873 as Low Water Trims Tows](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16330-new-orleans-grain-barges-hit-873-as-low-water-trims-tows.md) | -0.6% | — |
| CORN | 2023-09-21 | [Barge loads reduced as low water impacts Mississippi River \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16605-barge-loads-reduced-as-low-water-impacts-mississippi-river-feed-and-grain.md) | -0.2% | +0.5% |
| CORN | 2020-12-01 | [Dry Barge Fleet Consolidation \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/49543-dry-barge-fleet-consolidation-feed-and-grain.md) | -0.4% | +1.4% |
| CORN | 2022-09-30 | [Low River Levels, Soaring Barge Freight Curb U.S. Grain Exports](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16682-low-river-levels-soaring-barge-freight-curb-u-s-grain-exports.md) | +1.0% | +3.8% |
| SOY | 2026-10-23 | [New Orleans Grain Barges Hit 873 as Low Water Trims Tows](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16330-new-orleans-grain-barges-hit-873-as-low-water-trims-tows.md) | -2.9% | — |
| SOY | 2025-10-01 | [Low Mississippi River Levels Pressure Grain Barge Movement - RFD-TV](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16421-low-mississippi-river-levels-pressure-grain-barge-movement-rfd-tv.md) | +2.0% | +7.6% |
| SOY | 2023-09-21 | [Barge loads reduced as low water impacts Mississippi River \| Feed & Grain](https://feedsoft.ai/events/16605-barge-loads-reduced-as-low-water-impacts-mississippi-river-feed-and-grain.md) | -1.3% | -0.7% |

## Sources

- workboat.com: https://www.workboat.com/coastal-inland-waterways/grain-barge-tonnage-average

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