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.
Trade Dispute’s Long-Term Impact
Doane Advisory Services’ International Report, which includes 10-year forecasts for soybeans, coarse grains, corn, wheat, cotton, and rice for 17 countries or major regions worldwide…
Brazil Southern Ports Improving to Meet Northern Arc Challenge
The northern arc of ports is allowing Brazil to increase its grain export capacity without the traditional long delays in getting the grain to the…
New Soybean Crushing Plant Provides Outlet for U.S. Farmers
Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) opened a 60 million bushel per year soybean crushing plant in Aberdeen, South Dakota and CHS Inc. announced it is expanding…
Brazil Northern Arc Exports Changing the Electrical Grid
Nowhere is the impact of increasing Brazil soybean exports felt more than the “Northern Arc.” Brazil is the largest soybean exporter and second largest corn…
Port of Virginia Completes Renovation
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that nearly 16% of U.S. containerized grain exports move through the Port of Virginia. The two-year renovation and…
Columbia Snake River System Closed at Bonneville
Bonneville Lock & Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was the first federal lock and dam on the Columbia Snake…
IMO 2020 Regulation Could Increase Diesel Cost
In 1973, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) enacted regulations to reduce pollution from marine and shipping operations. The International Maritime Organization’s new regulations (IMO 2020)…
Soybean Barge Movements Slow
2019 has been a tough year for the barge industry and all producers of commodities that use the Inland Mississippi Waterways System. After Lock and…
Brazil Rail Projects Impacting Soybean Exports
Like the U.S., Brazil’s public roads and waterways are publicly funded. Unlike the U.S. where railroads fund much of its own track improvements, Brazil railroads…
Barge Rates Muted
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), “the U.S. Inland Waterway System utilizes a percent of tariff system to establish…