The National Grain and Feed Association is urging the full House to quickly approve the Water Resources Development Act after the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee advanced the bipartisan legislation.

NGFA praised Committee Chairman Sam Graves, R-Mo., Ranking Member Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and other committee members for advancing the bill, which authorizes projects to maintain and improve the nation's inland waterways infrastructure.

“A reliable and efficient inland waterways system is essential to the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture and our ability to move grain and other agricultural products safely and efficiently to domestic and international markets,” said NGFA President and CEO Mike Seyfert. “Congress’s longstanding commitment to passing a bipartisan WRDA bill every two years provides critical certainty for planning and investing in the infrastructure that supports farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities.”

NGFA said the grain and feed industry depends on an integrated transportation network that includes highways, railroads and waterways. Each year, about 650 million tons of U.S. grain move from fields to storage by truck, 160 million tons move by rail and 80 million tons move by barge. The association said reliable performance across all three transportation modes is necessary to maintain the agricultural supply chain and support U.S. competitiveness in domestic and global markets.

The association also emphasized the importance of continued investment in inland waterways, saying modernized locks and dams, reduced maintenance backlogs and improved navigation reliability are critical to moving agricultural commodities efficiently and strengthening U.S. agriculture's position in export markets.

NGFA also welcomed language in the legislation that does not affect the Columbia River System and Lower Snake River dams, which it said remain vital to agricultural exports and the movement of grain and other commodities.

The association called on the full House to approve the measure and said it looks forward to working with Congress to enact final bipartisan legislation this year.

Source: National Grain and Feed Association, "NGFA applauds committee advancement of WRDA bill"