Waterway Transportation Critical to Crop Production Exports

As we approach the busiest grain export period of the year, U.S. waterways are critical to moving grain from the heart of America to the Gulf Coast. 

Evidenced by backups on the Mississippi River in early October, low water levels due to drought experienced in many parts of the Midwest and Plains states caused barge transport to decrease so much that barges started carrying less grain than they normally would or ceased to move. 

More than 60% of U.S. corn, soybean, and wheat exports set sail from the Gulf Coast ports off of the Mississippi River. Barge transport helps our agricultural exports stay competitive in global markets while contributing to half a million jobs in the U.S., according to the Waterways Council.

In Tennessee, 950 miles of navigable inland waterways support its crop production exports. Three major waterways sustain grain shipped by water - the Tennessee, Mississippi, and Cumberland Rivers - ranking Tennessee 11th in the nation for inland waterway transport. 

In corn exports alone, waterway transport helped move over $240 million worth of exported Tennessee corn in 2020, as determined by the U.S. Grains Council Value of Grains Exports study. 

Tennessee farmers depend heavily on barge transportation to deliver harvested grain destined for export by waterway to ports along the Gulf of Mexico. 

For more information about the benefits of Tennessee's inland waterways, visit Tennessee’s Waterways Profile from the National Waterways Foundation.