January 18, 2023

 

Corn arrives to feed chickens from poultry producer Foster Farms following train delays

 

Poultry producer Foster Farms and the Union Pacific Corp said sufficient corn shipments had been made to top off feed stocks after recent train delays had caused inventories to fall dangerously low, with millions of chickens at Foster Farms facilities at risk of going unfed, Yahoo! News reported.

 

In response to a warning from Foster Farms that there might not be enough feed for both its own chickens and the dairy cattle of its customers, the US Surface Transportation Board, which oversees railroads, ordered Union Pacific to send trains loaded with corn. The farm said that in order to feed its chickens, it had to divert supplies away from its customers.

 

A statement released by Foster Farms of Livingston, California said six trains full of corn have been delivered since the board's decision.

 

The statement said grain stockpiles at Foster Farms are currently at levels that allow the company to provide for the nutritional needs of all the flocks under their care, and the health of the birds is not in danger.

 

Foster Farms said that Union Pacific's delays had been ongoing since February 2022 in its request to the authority in December. In June 2022, after Foster Farms complained of a severe lack of animal feed, the Surface Transportation Board issued a service order to Union Pacific.

 

Unfavorable weather this winter, such as the Midwest-wide snowstorms, the flood damage in California, and the rockslides in Nevada, were a factor in the most recent service interruptions, Union Pacific said. 

 

In a separate statement, Union Pacific said that it had collaborated closely with Foster Farms and the Surface Transportation Board to put a service plan into action and that it had voluntarily provided service updates and information regarding weather challenges severely impacting our network and future deliveries.

 

Foster Farms can only be reached directly by Union Pacific, the second-largest railroad in North America. Due to capacity and financial limitations, the poultry producer has stated in federal filings that it is not feasible to truck in corn. For every train with 100 corn cars, 400 trucks are needed to transport the same amount.

 

Foster Farms stated in its statement that they have a long working relationship with Union Pacific, and it is their hope that more dependable service standards can be maintained, and further disruptions can be minimised.

 

-      Yahoo! Finance