Between flooding and the recent winter storms county roads in many areas of the region have become unusable for transporting livestock to market or getting inputs into operations. Craig Andersen’s swine operation is located near Centerville, South Dakota, where there was flooding last year and again in 2019. He says combine that with the recent snows and the roads are a logistical mess.

He says the damage and road closures are also preventing the transportation of needed inputs for livestock operations or trucks have to drive many miles out of the way to get to farms.

Andersen says the road situation isn’t going to get better any time soon.

It may take years for rural roads and bridges to get fixed after being destroyed and that will continue to be an added cost for farmers.