With a wide variety of pressing issues facing the federal government over the coming months, The National Corn Growers Association says funding for lock and dam improvements remain a high priority. NCGA President Garry Niemeyer says – our inland waterway system plays a crucial role in the nation’s economy, and we must act now to help our leaders understand that funding improvements is critical to maintaining our industry’s viability.

The country’s inland navigation system plays a visible role in the economy, moving more than a billion tons of domestic commerce valued at more than 300-billion dollars per year. The same system moves more than a billion bushels of grain per year, about 60 percent of all grain exports. Yet, investment in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Waterways has not kept pace with the needs of the transportation sector.

This problem is gaining attention outside of the agricultural community. Last week Representative. Tim Bishop, ranking member on the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, submitted a letter to the committee’s Chairman Representative Bob Gibbs requesting proposing the bipartisan organization of a stakeholder roundtable to discuss the deteriorating inland waterways system.

Courtesy: NAFB News