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Sen. Crapo seeks transportation solutions for ag
Hearing addresses agricultural transportation and energy issues

Idaho farm families need solutions for the limited availability of affordable shipping and increasing production costs, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, reiterated this week in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing. The hearing addressed long-term needs in regards to energy issues and transportation for agriculture.

“Idaho is a land-locked state with substantial distance to markets, giving Idaho producers a limited supply of shipping options,” Crapo said. “With the high cost of fuel and agriculture inputs and demand for rail cars, Idaho producers and producers nationwide face substantial challenges. I am optimistic that we can find workable solutions to help relieve these strains and keep the U.S. competitive on the global agriculture market.”

The hearing featured testimony from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy, and several other witnesses representing the agriculture community.

The witnesses provided insight on the effects of the hurricanes on transportation and energy costs, efforts to mitigate the effects, the outlook for agriculture, and possible solutions.

Published 11-11-05