Mighty Mississippi Project to enhance soybean’s leading export region officially kicks off BY MIKE STEENHOEK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SOY TRANSPORTATION COALITION
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n July 31, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State of Louisiana hosted a signing ceremony in New Orleans to officially kick off an important infrastructure project for Iowa soybean farmers and the broader economy – deepening the lower Mississippi River. Governor John Bel Edwards (D-LA) and Major General Diana Holland (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Mississippi Valley Division Commander)
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presided over the ceremony. The 256-mile stretch of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to the Gulf of Mexico accounts for 60% of U.S. soybean exports and 59% of corn exports – by far the leading export region for both commodities. Soybean farmers and a large number of Mississippi River stakeholders have been promoting the deepening of the lower river shipping channel.
In 2018, the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC) published research highlighting the economic benefits to soybean farmers of deepening the lower Mississippi River from 45 feet to 50 feet. In 2019, the United Soybean Board (USB) announced a $2 million allocation to offset the planning, design and research costs of the project. The American Soybean Association, STC, Iowa Soybean Association and other
