Rivers: Not Just for Exports Importance of utilizing inland waterways both outbound and inbound BY KRISS NELSON
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s the price of input soars and their availability dwindles, transporting them in an economical and timely fashion is more important than ever. One of the most efficient, yet often overlooked, modes of getting inputs to Iowa farmers is the river system. “As farmers, we don’t realize the significance of what it means to bring those products back up the river,” says Jeff Jorgenson, immediate ISA past president and farmer near Sidney.
Buying inputs for the 2022 season highlights the river’s significance, Jorgenson says. “The time it really matters is right now,” he says. “The prices of our inputs are skyrocketing, and part of that is coming from the shipping costs.” Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition (STC), says transportation plays a large role on input costs, including fertilizer. An underappreciated part of the
agriculture story, he says is how consequential the river is as a mode of transportation. "Rivers are a contributing part of our competitiveness – not just on the outbound, where we are ultimately exporting to other countries, but also on the inbound,” says Steenhoek. The STC was established in 2007 to promote a cost-effective, reliable and competitive transportation system that serves the agriculture industry.
Jeff Jorgenson, immediate past president of ISA and farmer near Sidney realizes the importance of our river systems especially in times of higher input prices.
18 | NOVEMBER 2021 | IASOYBEANS.COM
