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Ag groups want immediate action at the border

Ag groups continue to call for rail to resume as U.S. and Mexican leaders plan to meet.

The Ag Transportation Working Group, which includes nearly 50 ag organizations, says the Mexican rail closures have caused backups into the U.S./Canada border and immediate action is needed.

The group estimates nearly one million bushels of grain exports are potentially lost every day the border remains closed along with export potential for many other ag products.

U.S. Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters both presidents talked Thursday about the need for more resources.

“And it’s a historic level of migration and there’s a lot of reasons for it and we’re not the only country that’s facing this flow,” he says.

He says White House officials will be meeting with Mexican leaders in the coming days to work to slow an influx of migrants at the border.

The Union Pacific Railway estimates $200 million in economic activity is lost each day the rail crossings are closed.

International rail crossings in Texas have been closed since Monday following tens of thousands of migrants trying to cross including on freight trains.