Iowa Corn Farmers Commend President Trump’s focus on Modernizing Rural Infrastructure

STATEMENT FROM EXPORTS & THE GRAIN TRADE CHAIR WAYNE HUMPHREYS

Iowa Corn Farmers Commend President Trump’s focus on Modernizing Rural Infrastructure

President Donald Trump revealed this week elements of his plan to rebuild America’s infrastructure including a strong focus on our roads, bridges and waterways as “Critical Corridors of Commerce”. On behalf of Iowa’s corn farmers, we applaud his commitment to modernizing America’s transportation system as it remains our sole means of moving our agricultural products to market.

A robust, efficient infrastructure can enhance our opportunities to make sales, allowing us to deliver our products on time and in good condition to our customers in Iowa, across the country and internationally. An estimated 60 percent of U.S. grain exports travel on U.S. waterways to elevators for inspection and loading onto bulk cargo ships, according to the National Waterways Foundation, a group addressing policy issues related to America’s inland waterways system. Corn and soybeans make up much of the grain moved on U.S. waterways to help feed the world. Upkeep of existing locks and dams remains imperative to keeping American agriculture strong.

Trucks transport most of our corn used here in the U.S. to feedlots, feed mills and ethanol plants. This doesn’t account for us trucking our grain to market, or the local deliveries of fuel, seed, chemical, fertilizer and other inputs to our farms. Trucks play a valuable role in rural America, and that’s why we must repair the thousands of closed or restricted access roads and bridges across the country.

We look forward to working with the Trump Administration on infrastructure improvements that will keep our corn and corn products moving and America’s economy strong.

CONTACT:
Shannon Textor, Director of Marketing & Communications, stextor@iowacorn.org, 515-225-9242 
Lisa Cassady, PR Manager, lcassady@iowacorn.org, 515-443-3947

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