The ongoing rail delays in the upper Midwest is staggering and unacceptable. That’s according to National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. He says the problem of ag commodity shipping backlogs will be in effect for a long time and solutions are needed before severe economic problems hit. Johnson says there needs to be more aggressive oversight by the Surface Transportation Board along with rail car upgrades to help address the issue.
Johnson says farmers are already being severely affected by the pinch.
Johnson says oil companies continue to be served better by railroads and are taking priority over agriculture which is compounding the backlog. He says it’s more than oil being shipped, it’s other products gumming up the system as well.
Johnson says the rail problem will be one of NFU’s priority issues at their Fly in September 6 through the 10 in Washington D.C.