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House Passes Lock and Dam Improvement Measure 406-14

Proponents of enhancing the U.S. infrastructure to move grain faster down the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers got good news today with passage of the Water Resources Development Act. The 406-14 vote shows strong House support, and according to the Illinois Corn Growers Association amendments that would have slowed the measure were "solidly" defeated.

Roger Sy, president, ICGA and a Newman, Ill., corn grower notes: "Nearly two-thirds of all corn and soybean exports are moved via the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. New technology and better farming and conservation methods continue to increase these yields allowing us to meet increasing world demand."

WRDA contains what Sy calls "the missing component" - which is an efficient and cost-effective transportation system. Key world competitors, such as Brazil and Argentina, are investing heavily in their infrastructure. Major commodity groups have been pushing hard to get this measure moving in Congress for several years.

Next stop for the act is the full Senate which may occur before the August recess.