Farmers are facing inflation, higher gas prices, and supply chain woes just as others are.
During an agriculture forum today with the Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Soybean Alliance, farmers expressed concern over transportation and feed delays.
The problems are systemic, and experts say solutions are difficult.
Challenges range from holdups at west coast ports to a shortage of shipping containers for soybeans to inland rail delays. The global pandemic has altered the finely tuned schedule of demand at these transportation hubs, and that’s largely to blame.
Ken Eriksen is a Senior Vice President at IHS Markit. He says government has a role to play, but says finding the balance is key.
"So it's having to push the pencil harder and consider different options that you normally would not have done and make that work," Eriksen said. "Because to do the same old thing, you're going to find yourself going into a hole that you're going to have a tough time digging out of."
The Biden administration has begun steps to remedy these problems. In one move, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg issued a waiver which will allow commercial truckers to have fewer required rest hours.
