Damaging the U.S. Reputation as a Reliable Exporter
Since early July only several emergency waiver export loads of grain have left the United Grain Corporation’s terminal. The lack of grain inspectors is causing mounting frustration by farmers and ag groups as well as a back up of grain at the terminal.Last week United Grain Corporation Vice President and Operations Manager John Todd shared how much wheat awaits export.
Todd: “The tonnage that we have at risk here equates to about 338,000 acres of wheat that isn’t moving. The other side of the story is that we’ve got customers overeat — maybe you’ve heard people say, ‘Oh it is okay if you are shut down because the wheat will eventually find its way through somebody else’s facility.’ We have customers who that run on just in time inventory supplies — just like everybody in the country does. Who don’t get to make their flour if they don’t have the wheat to make flour out of. This damages the reputation of the entire United States.”
Both the House and Senate Ag Committees have written letters to USDA Secretary Vilsack urging him to have the grain inspection resume at UGC as well as several foreign milling organizations that are getting desperate for U.S. wheat.
Todd continues
Todd: “We don’t want to become Argentina where every couple of years they have trouble getting their product off the dock. Because our customers can go else where.”