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Article: Distant storm could chill Minnesota farm markets; No one knows when Louisiana ports might again receive state's crops.(BUSINESS)
- Article from:
- Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)
- Article date:
- September 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Thomas Lee; Staff Writer
The shutdown of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans is depriving U.S. agriculture of a vital shipping port just as Midwest farmers begin harvesting crops like corn and soybeans.
Farmers usually send their grain and other agricultural commodities down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and other Gulf Coast ports, where most of the nation's corn, soybeans and wheat is shipped to markets around the world. September and October are typically the two biggest months for exporting corn.
A prolonged shutdown of New Orleans will force farmers and agriculture companies to find more expensive transportation, such as railroads ...