DECEMBER 2023 23 Matches fertilizer type to crop needs. RIGHT SOURCE Keeps nutrients where crops can use them. RIGHT PLACE Matches amount of fertilizer to crop needs. RIGHT RATE Makes nutrients available when crops need them. RIGHT TIME P.O. Box 510 | 804 Highway 15 West | Northwood, ND 58267 (701) 587-6010 | Fax (701) 587-6013 email: northwoodlab@agvise.com | website: www.agvise.com P.O. Box 187 | 902 13th Street North | Benson, MN 56215 (320) 843-4109 | Fax (320) 843-2074 email: bensonlab@agvise.com | website: www.agvise.com Canada Delivery: 380 Kimberly Rd. | Winkler, MB R6W 0H7 high-capacity boxcars and 500 high-efficiency hopper cars in 2023. The railroad said that it will be adding 750 new grain hopper cars to its fleet; • People: Staff resourcing for 2023–24 will be in line with CN’s anticipated customer demand, which means that it will have enough fully- trained people available to handle all areas with- in the railroad system. For more information on CN’s Winter Plan, download the complete plan here: file:///C:/Users/andrew. joseph/Downloads/Winter-Plan-2023-2024.pdf The 2023-2024 CPKC Railroad Winter Contingency Report CPKC’s report offers an introductory welcome “to who we are” after its acquisition of the Kansas City railroad aspects. It also discussed the weather, but was confident in accessing its prowess as a pioneer in winter weather transport since 1881, carving out a reputation for timely delivery even through the steep mountain ranges of Alberta and British Columbia. We have already previously discussed many of the concerns of the CPKC railroad in this article, such as extended interswitching and replacement workers during a strike. However, the CPKC report also takes umbrage with the Port of Vancouver, which was at the forefront of a 13-day strike by its dock workers. For CPKC (and CN), its trains are unable to unload grain cargo at the Port of Vancouver if it happens to be raining or snowing. Yes, the grain in trains sits idly when it rains. Why? If precipitation gets into a cargo hold while the grain is being loaded, that grain gets wet and begins to rot. Does anyone want any rotting grain? Aside from many in the eastern part of Japan saying they love natto, a food type created from rotting, fermented soybeans, there aren’t many other global takers. Even then, natto is created from a controlled wet “rotting” of the soybean. As such, the Port of Vancouver avoids the possibility of a wet grain load by not allowing it to be loaded when it rains or snows. This lack of movement certainly harms productivity and causes extra fees and late penalties to be placed on grain exporters who are unable to get the grain to their clients. This penalty is then pushed down along the supply chain to the agents selling grain on behalf of Canadian farmers, who are now forced to shave money— i.e., profit—from every bushel of grain. Now considering that Raincouver, er, Vancouver, sees an average of 169 rainy days a year—that’s a lot of time when the port cannot be used. The Weather Network noted that although the Vancouver International Airport receives an average of 1,153 mm of rain annually, east of Vancouver, the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, averages 1,483 mm—300mm, 30 cm, or 12 inches—more. Regardless, for an average of 169 days a year, the Port of Vancouver is quiet as far as grain shipments are concerned. For the railroads, it creates a backlog of grain trains stuck on the tracks, causing, said the report, “cascading delays throughout the grain supply chain.” The report continues: “This interrupts the balanced and efficient cycling of railcars from the in-country elevators to the port and then back for re-loading.” CPKC complained in its 2023–2024 Winter Contingency Report that the Port of Vancouver situation is unique and that other port terminals in the Pacific Northwest of the US have special infrastructure and practices in place to safely load grain during rain or snow. [You can read our October 2023 CAAR Com-
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