Twenty-two agricultural groups sent a letter to House and Senate appropriators on April 5, 2017, asking for fiscal 2018 funding to rebuild inland waterways. The requests include full use of the barge diesel fuel tax for the Inland Waterways Trust Fund and at least $3.173 billion for Army Corps of Engineers O&M, since most locks and dams have passed their 50-year design life.
Funding for locks, dams and channel deepening affects the long-term cost and reliability of barge transport for grain. Any appropriation would only shift freight economics over years, so the near-term price effect is small.
Not enough comparable past events yet for a historical read.
After 1,623 past policy events, Corn moved a median +0.1% over 5 sessions (51% higher; middle half -1.4% to +1.5%), and +0.4% over 20.
After 1,905 past policy events, Soybeans moved a median +0.1% over 5 sessions (52% higher; middle half -1.4% to +1.8%), and +0.2% over 20.
Moves of each commodity's benchmark from the last close before the event. Historical reads pool past events of the same kind; they describe what happened, not what will. Not investment advice.