Alan Barrett is the Director of Research and Consulting for HIgby Barrett LLC. He is an accomplished commodity economist with more than 25 years of experience in futures and cash markets with a focus on cotton, commodity projects, non-traditional agricultural products, transportation and supply chain studies. Alan spent six years as a commodity futures broker. His expertise encompasses feasibility studies of oilseed crushing plants (soybean canola, and cottonseed), grain elevators, export elevators, shuttle elevators, grain container operations, flourmills and other processing facilities. Alan also has conducted transportation supply chain studies for grains, oilseeds, fertilizer, coal, natural gas, crude oil, and petroleum products. Alan has considerable experience in non-traditional agricultural products such as coal, coke, natural gas, chemicals, hydraulic fracturing fluid, hydraulic fracturing proppants, glycerin, fertilizer, micronutrients, salt, limestone, cement, iron ore, pig iron, and steel, especially feed ingredients. Mr. Barrett has a BS and MS in Agricultural Economics from the University of Tennessee.
Secondary Rail Markets Increasing
Farmers in the Upper Plain states are dependent on rail service for soybean export shipments, as rail is the most efficient transportation mode in rural…
Brazil’s Minimum Freight Rates are Being Negotiated
Approximately 60% of corn and soybeans in Brazil is transported by truck from origin to destination. As a result, truck freight rates play a major…
Soybean Barge Rates at Three- and Five-Year Averages
Barge freight rates continue to remain near historic lows. [A detailed explanation of barge freight rate calculations is provided at the end of this article.]…
Ocean Freight Rates to Remain Near $50 per Metric Ton
The U.S. is a soybean surplus country dependent on exports, particularly from the Center Gulf. Brazil’s soybean exports limits the United States’ ability to pass…
Increase in Truck Capacity is Decreasing Truck Rates
In 2018, the impact of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate in tandem with a strong U.S. economy translated into a lack of truck capacity…
Soybean Barge Movements Well Above 2019
Outside of a surging crude oil market, 2019 was a very tough year for the barge industry. Coal is the largest commodity in terms of…
African Swine Fever’s Long-Term Impact
Doane Advisory Services’ recently updated International Report, which includes ten-year forecasts for soybeans, coarse grains, corn, wheat, cotton, and rice for 17 countries or major…
Canadian National Railway on Strike
Canada relies on its two main railways to move products from the Prairies to British Columbia. The Canadian National Railway (CN) Western Canadian Grain Report…
Long-Term World Soybean Outlook
Doane’s economists recently updated the International Agriculture Outlook report, which includes ten-year forecasts of harvested area, yield, production, utilization, per capita consumption and net trade…
IMO 2020 Regulation Could Increase Diesel Cost
For agriculture, fuel cost is extremely important because it factors into the farming operation’s profit as a direct cost, derived cost, and transportation cost. The…