Facility

New Orleans / Mississippi River Delta Grain Terminal Complex

The New Orleans area grain export terminal complex (including Cargill Westwego terminal, Bunge Destrehan terminal, ADM Reserve terminal, Louis Dreyfus Bunge Convent terminal, and CGB Enterprises Ama terminal — all within ~100 miles on the Lower Mississippi River) is the United States' primary soybean and corn export gateway, handling approximately 60% of total US soybean exports. Soybeans originating in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota travel by barge down the Illinois River and Mississippi River system to these terminals for ocean vessel loading. The Lower Mississippi grain terminal complex receives approximately 20,000-25,000 river barges annually; one delayed river barge represents ~1,500 tons of grain. Mississippi River low-water events (drought of 2012, 2022, 2023) reduced barge drafts, restricted loads, and elevated freight costs — directly reducing US export competitiveness versus Brazilian soy in Chinese import markets. USACE operates two critical navigation chokepoints: Lock and Dam 25 (Winfield, MO) and the Old River Control Structure (Louisiana) — infrastructure from the 1950s-70s managing US agricultural export infrastructure. Source: USDA AMS Grain Transportation Report 2024; USACE Lower Mississippi River conditions.