This article has been reprinted from the Dec. 5 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Export Sales
For the week ending November 21, unshipped balances of wheat, corn, and soybeans totaled 23.1 mmt.
This represents a 19-percent decrease in outstanding sales, compared to the same time last year.
Net corn export sales reached .807 mmt, up 2 percent from the past week.
Net soybean export sales were 1.66 mmt, up 26 percent from the previous week.
Net weekly wheat export sales reached .613 mmt, up 40 percent from the previous week.
Rail
U.S. Class I railroads originated 22,210 grain carloads during the week ending November 23.
This was a 1-percent decrease from the previous week, 11 percent more than last year, and 9 percent more than the 3-year average.
Average December shuttle secondary railcar bids/offers (per car) were $379 below tariff for the week ending November 28.
This was $279 less than last week and $234 lower than this week last year.
There were no non-shuttle bids/offers this week.
Barge
For the week ending November 30, barge grain movements totaled 1,020,740 tons.
This was a 7-percent increase from the previous week and 52 percent more than the same period last year.
For the week ending November 30, 694 grain barges moved down river—72 more barges than the previous week.
There were 672 grain barges unloaded in New Orleans, 21 percent less than the previous week.
Ocean
For the week ending November 28, 36 oceangoing grain vessels were loaded in the Gulf—10 percent less than the same period last year.
Within the next 10 days (starting November 29), 45 vessels were expected to be loaded—21 percent fewer than the same period last year.
Fuel
For the week ending December 2, the U.S. average diesel fuel price increased 0.4 cents from the previous week to $3.07 per gallon, 13.7 cents below the same week last year.