The Ag Rail Business Council, a group charged with fostering more open communication between agricultural producers and BNSF Railway, held its latest meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, this week.

The meeting covered a wide range of topics, including producer reports on rate and service issues, a market outlook preview for 2010 and a review of a rail reform bill passed in December by the Senate Commerce Committee.

The group also considered a report on soybean transportation and discussed Berkshire Hathaway’s acquisition of BNSF. On the latter issue, producers were assured that ag is the fastest growing business for BNSF and there is no reason to believe BNSF’s strong commitment to agriculture will change.

Representatives from wheat, corn, soybeans and pulse crop organizations as well as ag merchandisers and railroad representatives sit on the Council, which meets twice a year.

Three NAWG officers - President Karl Scronce, Second Vice President Wayne Hurst and Immediate Past President David Cleavinger - attended the meeting on behalf of NAWG, in addition to NAWG Domestic and Trade Policy Committee Vice Chairman David Schemm, and NAWG Director of Government Affairs for Farm Policy Cori Wittman. A number of wheat commission representatives also sit on the Council, and Lochiel Edwards, a longtime NAWG member and producer from Montana, is the chairman of the Council.

NAWG participates in Council meetings as one of many efforts undertaken to work toward relief of rail rate and service issues experienced by wheat growers. NAWG also continues to support necessary legislative changes, including the Senate Commerce-approved bill, S. 2889. 

Source: NAWG-Posted by Russell Nemetz