Poor Rail Service Addressed with the Surface Transportation Board
With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I am Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.Fertilizer has been a hot topic this year and the discussion is continuing.
The Fertilizer Institute’s President and CEO, Corey Rosenbusch is now praising a bipartisan congressional letter sent last week to the Surface Transportation Board regarding poor railroad service.
The letter outlined the negative impact the poor service is having on the fertilizer industry and the overall agricultural sector.
According to Rosenbusch, “With over half of all fertilizer moving by rail, we are grateful for the 51 lawmakers who brought the issue of inconsistent rail service to the Surface Transportation Board’s attention.”
Of course fertilizer shipments heavily rely on railroads to reach farmers, but according to Rosenbusch, imposed restrictions, along with skeleton crews and railroad-led initiatives such as precision-scheduled railroading have forced fertilizer shipping reductions and potential delays.
Rosenbusch added that, “With the world leaning on U.S. farmers more than ever before to feed the growing population, fertilizer must get to farmers in a timely manner and crop harvests also need to get to their destinations promptly, including the kitchen table.”