National
Corn Growers Association Participates in Transportation Roundtable
Series (7-27-05)
National Corn
Growers Association (NCGA) staff Lisa Kelley, director of public
policy, and Max Starbuck, director of economic and livestock analysis,
last week participated in the first of six transportation and logistics
roundtable meetings designed to discuss strategic plans for transportation
on a national and global level.
“The meetings
provided an opportunity to discuss a wide range of transportation
issues with respect to agriculture,” said Kelley. “We
also discussed specific analysis of rail, barge, ocean freight and
truck rates and trends, in addition to how global macroeconomic
factors play a role in transportation efficiencies and cost competitiveness.”
Also on the
agenda was a presentation on current activities regarding the Water
Resources Development Act; updates on waterway infrastructure; an
update and overview of the current transportation situations; updates
on rail infrastructure and capacity, including future factors that
will impact rail transportation; changes and upgrades to the Panama
Canal; Mexican railway improvements; production and use of mega-container
ships; and increased barge transportation.
Presenters included
Ken Eriksen, senior transportation analyst, Informa Economics; Bruce
Scherr, president and CEO, Informa Economics; Barry Palmer, president,
Waterways Council, Inc.; and Mazhar Awan, managing director, Transportation
Economics, Inc.
Participants
also shaped the agenda for the next five roundtable discussion groups.
The issues include:
* Commodity
flow situation and outlook
* Barge fleet profile and tow industry costs
* Rail equipment supply and demand
* Rail policy, mergers and acquisitions
* Infrastructure funding
* Port congestion
* Transport and logistics security
* Homeland security regulations and increased shipping costs
* Trucking environment
* Ocean shipping reform
* Trade developments/policy implications
* Energy—fuel pricing and drivers
* Ethanol transportation
The next roundtable
meeting is expected in November.