Dredging Project Readies Mississippi River for Efficient Transportation

Soybean Checkoff-funded research, planning, analysis and design led by the United Soybean Board, has informed the launch of a dredging project to provide upgrades to the lower Mississippi River. The Army Corps of Engineers announced it will be funding and proceeding with deepening the Mississippi River from 45 to 50 feet between Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and the Gulf of Mexico. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will also provide funding. The river is a major channel for U.S. soybean exports. The particular 256-mile stretch of the Mississippi River accounts for 60 percent of U.S. soy exports, and 59 percent of corn exports from that region arrive via the inland waterway system. Once complete, the new depth will unlock long-term benefits for soybeans and other U.S. agricultural exports. USB director Meagan Kaiser of Missouri says, “More efficient shipping builds value in the supply chain and expands opportunities for our soybeans to reach our customers around the world.”