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Low river levels a concern for nation’s largest ag co-op

Fall is arguably the busiest time of year for the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative.

CHS board chairman Dan Schurr, who farms near LeClaire in eastern Iowa, says it’s a stressful time.

“We are shipping grains off of the farm currently, moving them down the rivers. River levels are a concern for us to get things to the port.”

He tells Brownfield another challenge right now is the value of the U.S. Dollar.

“Our grain coming out of the U.S. is not real competitive to the rest of the world, so volumes are down going out of export facilities currently. And, you know, we’re in a cyclical business and that will change.”

Schurr says fall fertilizer movement is going strong and the harvest season is shaping up to be fairly normal.