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Port strikes bring questions about feed imports and ag exports

The CEO of the National Grain and Feed Association says he’s trying to better understand how feed ingredients are affected by the ongoing port strikes.

“There’s a lot of discussion about imports and while retail and others saw this coming and could plan ahead, we’re trying to emphasize the importance of imports for our membership.”

Mike Seyfert tells Brownfield it’s unclear how much of a concern this situation might be, but he says ag exports are a concern with an ongoing strike.

“You can’t really forward push out poultry or pork production. We’re in the middle of harvest now and it wasn’t like you could export those a month early.”

He says even if the strike only lasts a few days, it will take time to ramp up steady movement of containers at the ports again.

“Just the threat of a rail strike back in 2022 or the Canadian rail stoppage in August, we saw movements start to stop about a week out and then, it takes close to that time to get it wound back up. It could take more time if production is stopped at some plants.”

Seyfert says there will also be higher container and transportation costs the longer the strike goes.