Periods of severe drought in western Kansas, establishment of ethanol processing plants in different parts of the state, the ongoing competitive presence of the Kansas cattle feeding ind
Trang 1The Changing Competitive Structure of Kansas Grain Handling
and Transportation Industry
Daniel M O’Brien, Kansas State University, dobrien@ksu.edu Brian C Briggeman, Kansas State University, bbrigg@k-state.edu
Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the 2016 Agricultural & Applied Economics
Association Annual Meeting, Boston Massachusetts, July 31-August 2
Copyright 2016 by Daniel M O’Brien and Brian C Briggeman, Kansas State University All rights reserved Readers may make verbatim copies of this document for non-commercial purposes by any means, provided that the copyright notice appears on all such copies
Trang 2The Changing Competitive Structure of Kansas Grain Handling
and Transportation Industry
Selected Paper prepared for presentation at the 2016 Agricultural & Applied Economics
Association Annual Meeting, Boston Massachusetts, July 31-August 2
Daniel M O’Brien and Brian C Briggeman Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics
Situation Statement
The Kansas grain storage, handling and transportation industry has undergone considerable change in recent years in terms of physical storage and handling capacity, competitive
organization of participants, and access to large scale rail transportation Ongoing
consolidation of local and regional cooperatives has occurred as have strategic investments in high-volume rail transportation facilities by both cooperatives and independent agribusinesses While the structure of the Kansas grain industry has been in a period of dynamic change over the last decade, the reasons are varied and somewhat interdependent Periods of severe
drought in western Kansas, establishment of ethanol processing plants in different parts of the state, the ongoing competitive presence of the Kansas cattle feeding industry and recent
growth in dairy industries, the construction of 100 railcar-plus shuttle train grain handling
facilities in strategic locations in the state (to ensure competitive rail access by local / regional grain elevators), and other changes have all occurred on a large scale since years 2007-2008
Purpose
In this project changes in the competitive structure of the Kansas grain storage, handling, and transportation industry at the local level between the 2007-2008 (reported in July 2008) and 2014-2015 (reported in August 2015) are examined – along with changes in factors that are hypothesized to have influenced these changes in Kansas grain industry structure In addition, trends over time in Kansas grain production relative to both commercial (off-farm) and on-farm grain storage over the 1969-2015 period will be examined and compared to the 2007-2008 and 2014-2015 Kansas grain industry storage data
The purpose of this research is to provide Kansas grain industry agribusinesses and policy
makers with descriptive data and an improved understanding of the broader, aggregate trends that have occurred in this dynamically competitive industry in recent years – along with an idea
of what factors may have caused such structural adjustments to occur Also, the Kansas State University specialists and specialists in surrounding states will gain a better understanding of the competitive structure of the Kansas grain industry and the factors underlying and/or
causing industry change to occur
The focus of data analysis in this project is on quantifying and explaining the reason why
differences may exist in the structure of the Kansas grain handling and transportation industry between the earlier 2007-2008 period and the later 2014-2015 time-frame The analysis
Trang 3focuses on changes in Kansas rail capacity access, trends in business location consolidation and ownership-type by region of the state, the locational proximity of grain elevator storage
capacity and numbers of competitors to intensity of grain production and livestock feeding, ethanol plants, and wheat mills Personal interviews of grain marketing managers from the Kansas grain industry were performed to add industry-level perspectives about the competitive forces that have brought about changes in the Kansas grain industry over the last decade
A complementary focus of this paper is on how trends in Kansas production of corn, sorghum, wheat and soybeans compare to the evolution of both off-farm (commercial) and on-farm storage of these same crops over the 1969-2015 period Of particular interest will be how Kansas production and quarterly stocks data over time coincide with the more comprehensive Kansas grain industry data during the 2007-2008 and 2014-2015 periods
Research Method
Data on a) county and/or regional location of grain handling and rail transportation facilities, b) grain elevator facility business types (cooperative, independent, or jointly owned in
cooperative-independent joint ventures) and multiple-site business associations, c) the amount
of grain storage handling capacity per grain elevator site, d) site-by-site railcar access and railcar capacity – including unit/shuttle train handling facilities, e) other key factors such as proximity
to grain production areas, ethanol plants, commercial livestock feeders, and wheat mills, and f) quarterly stocks and annual production of Kansas corn, sorghum, wheat and soybeans, are analyzed with the purpose of quantifying changes that have occurred over the 1969-2015 time period, with a particular focus on the 2007-2008 and 2014-2015 periods
Sources of data include 1) Kansas Grain and Feed Industry Annual Directories for 2007-2008, and 2014-2015, 2) public information about the competitive structure of the Kansas ethanol industry, 3) United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) county and regional data on grain production and livestock feeding, 4) commercial railroad facility information from the
Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF), Union Pacific (UP), and other regional Kansas railroads, 5) personal interviews with Kansas grain industry sources, 6) USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service (NASS) annual production and quarterly stocks information for corn, sorghum, wheat and soybeans, and 7) other sources
Information pertaining to grain elevator locations with accompanying descriptive information has been gathered for the 2014-2015 period Earlier analysis for the 2007-2008 period provided both a “head start” and a basis for comparison for the 2014-2015 Kansas grain industry data
Results
A Changes in Overall Kansas Grain Industry Characteristics
The grain storage capacity of the Kansas grain industry increased substantially from 2008 to
2015 – with “flat” or ground level storage increasing at a greater rate than traditional “upright” storage capacity Also, grain elevator access to rail service became more concentrated on large train loading facilities, with an increase in the number of 100+ railcar handling facilities at the same time that railcar access to smaller country grain elevators declined at least moderately
Trang 4The number of grain elevators in Kansas declined modestly (down 1.15%) from 695 in 2008 to
687 in 2015, with cooperative elevators unchanged at 484, independent grain elevators down 7
to 198, and joint ventures down 1 to 5 (Table 1) Total grain elevator storage capacity in
Kansas increased 8.6% or 78 million bushels (mb) over this period, from 907 mb in 2008 to 985
mb in 2015 Of this increase in total grain storage capacity, upright grain elevator storage
capacity increased 35 mb (up 4.5%) to 809 mb, while flat grain elevator storage capacity
increased 41 mb (up 30.3%) to 176 mb in 2015 Warehouse grain storage capacity increased 16,300 tons (up 21.1%) to 93,700 tons in 2015
On a per elevator basis, average grain elevator storage capacity increased 126,282 bushels (bu) (up 9.7%) to 1,433,357 bu per elevator from 2008 to 2015, while median grain elevator storage capacity increased 114,500 bu (up 15.8%) to 840,000 bu per elevator from 2008 to 2015 This difference between the average and median grain elevator grain storage capacity figures
indicates the presence of small number of large grain elevator facilities in the state of Kansas – with a much larger number of medium-to-small sized facilities also present in the state
Figures on Kansas grain elevator railcar handling or loading capacity are consistent with the broader trend toward construction of 100 plus car handling facilities for greater access to railcar transportation of grain that has occurred throughout the United States over the last decade It
is possible that some of the grain elevators formerly with 50-99 railcar handling capacity in 2007-2008 increased to the 100+ railcar category in 2014-2015 The number of Kansas grain elevators with railcar access declined by 50 (down 10.9%) to 407 (59% of the total of 687
elevators) from 2008 to 2015 The total railcar handling capacity of Kansas grain elevators
declined by 1,158 cars (down 13.0%) to 7,717 railcars from 2008 to 2015 In regards to Kansas grain elevators with higher capacity to handle railcars, the number of grain elevators with 50-99 railcar handling capacity declined by 4 (down to 1.8% of all Kansas grain elevators) to 12 from
2008 to 2015 Conversely, the number of grain elevators with 100 plus railcar handling
capacity increased by 6 (up to 4.5% of all Kansas grain elevators) to 31 from 2008 to 2015 The number of wheat and/or grain sorghum processing mills in Kansas has remained at 12 – unchanged over the 2008-2015 period Similarly, the number of soybean processors in the state has remained unchanged at 2 The number of major functioning ethanol plants has
remained at 8 throughout this period – although older plants closing and newer plants opening Total average Kansas production of corn, grain sorghum, and wheat during the 2004-2008
period was 970.2 million bushels (mb) annually, which was 107.0% of the estimated amount of commercial grain storage in the state in 2008 (i.e., 907 mb) Off-farm or non-commercial grain storage would be in addition to this figure This compares to total average Kansas production
of corn, grain sorghum, and wheat during the 2011-2015 period of 972.9 mb, which was 98.8%
of the estimated amount of commercial grain storage in the state in 2015 (i.e., 985 mb)
If soybean production and quarterly stocks are also considered – with soybeans tending to be sold more quickly by Kansas farm producers either at or immediately post-harvest and
consequently not to be kept in storage or to occupy storage space in most years – total average annual Kansas production of corn, grain sorghum, wheat and soybeans during the 2004-2008
period was 1,074.5 mb, which was 118.5% of the estimated amount of commercial grain
Trang 5Table 1 Kansas Grain Industry Characteristics – 2008 & 2015
July
2008
August
A All Kansas Grain Elevators
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 907 mb 985 mb +78 Upright Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 774 mb 809 mb +35 Flat Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 135 mb 176 mb +41 Warehouse Capacity (1,000 tons) 77.4 k-tons 93.7 k-tons +16.3 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,307,075 bu 1,433,357 bu +126,282 bu Median Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 725,500 bu 840,000 bu +114,500 bu
No Railroad Access (# (%)) 233 (34%) 280 (41%) +47 (+7%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 8,875 7,717 -1,158 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 16 (2.3%) 12 (1.8%) -4 (-0.5%) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 25 (3.6%) 31 (4.5%) +6 (+0.9%)
Kansas Average Major Grain Production (Corn, Grain
Sorghum, Wheat) (2004-08 & 2011-15) (mln bu)
970.2 mb 972.9 mb +2.7 mb
Kansas Average Major Grain Production
(Cn/GS/Wht) / Total Storage (%)
Kansas Average Major Grain Production (Corn, Grain
Sorghum, Wheat, Soybeans) (2004-08 & 2011-15) (mln bu)
2015 Kansas Major Grain Production (Corn, Grain
Sorghum, Wheat, Soybeans) (mln bu)
- - 1,332.3 mb
2015 Kansas Average Major Grain Production
(Cn/GS/Wht/Sb) / Total Storage (%)
Trang 6storage in the state in 2008 (i.e., 907.1 mb) Off-farm or non-commercial grain storage would
be in addition to this figure
This compares to total average annual Kansas production of corn, grain sorghum, wheat and soybeans during the 2011-2015 period of 1,095.1 mb, which was 111.2% of the estimated amount of commercial grain storage in the state in 2015 (i.e., 985 mb) During 2015, total Kansas corn, grain sorghum, wheat and soybean production is estimated to be 1,332.8 mb, which is 135.3% of 2015 total commercial grain storage capacity in Kansas – q sharp increase in the size of Kansas crop production relative to available off-farm (commercial) grain storage compared to recent years
B Changes in Kansas Cooperative Grain Elevators
Table 2a shows that although the number of cooperative grain elevators in Kansas was nearly unchanged from 2008 (485) to 2015 (484), the grain storage capacity of Kansas cooperatives as
a group increased from 2008 to 2015 (up 104 mb from 432 mb in 2008 to 536 mb in 2015) – with more of the increase being in upright storage (up 76 mb from 393 mb to 469 mb) than in flat grain storage facilities (up 28 mb from 39 mb to 67 mb) The average (median) grain
storage capacity of Kansas cooperative elevators increased from 894,265 bu (median = 720,000 bu) in 2008 to 1,106,955 bu (median = 828,500 bu)
The number of Kansas cooperative grain elevators with railcar access decreased from 314 in
2008 to 291 in 2015, while the total amount of railcar capacity for cooperatives decreased by
894 cars (down 19.3%) from 4,622 railcars in 2008 to 3,728 railcars in 2015 Kansas cooperative grain elevators with 50-99 railcar handling capacity declined by 3 from 5 in 2008 to 2 in 2015, but the number with 100+ railcar capacity increased by 3 from 7 in 2008 to 10 in 2015
C Changes in Kansas Independent Grain Elevators
Table 2a also shows that the number of independent grain elevators in Kansas declined from
2008 (205) to 2015 (198) The grain storage capacity of Kansas independent elevators also decreased from 2008 to 2015 (down 45 mb from 465 mb in 2008 to 420 mb in 2015) – with a sizable decrease in upright grain storage (down 51 mb from 372 mb to 321 mb), but an increase
in flat grain storage facilities (up 5 mb from 94 mb to 99 mb) The average grain storage
capacity of Kansas independent elevators decreased from 2,267,185 bu in 2008 to 2,111,503
bu, while conversely, the median storage capacity of Kansas independent elevators increased from 764,000 bu in 2008 to 844,000 bu in 2015
The number of Kansas independent grain elevators with railcar access decreased from 139 in
2008 to 112 in 2015, while the total amount of railcar capacity for independents decreased by
361 cars (down 9.2%) from 3,918 railcars in 2008 to 3,557 railcars in 2015 Kansas cooperative grain elevators with 50-99 railcar handling capacity declined by 1 from 11 in 2008 to 10 in 2015, but the number with 100+ railcar capacity increased by 2 from 15 in 2008 to 17 in 2015
Trang 7Table 2a Kansas Cooperative and Independent Grain Elevator Characteristics – 2008 & 2015
July
2008
August
A Cooperative Grain Elevators in Kansas
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 432 mb 536 mb +104 Upright Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 393 mb 469 mb +76 Flat Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 39 mb 67 mb +28 Warehouse Capacity (1,000 tons) 63.7 k-tons 67.0 k-tons +3.3 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 894,265 bu 1,106,955 bu +212,690 bu Median Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 720,000 bu 828,500 bu +108,500 bu
No Railroad Access (# (%)) 168 (35%) 193 (40%) +25 (+5%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 4,622 3,728 -894 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 5 (1.1%) 2 (0.4%) -3 (-0.7) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 7 (1.4%) 10 (2.1%) +3 (+0.7%)
B Independent Grain Elevators in Kansas
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 465 mb 420 mb -45 Upright Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 372 mb 321 mb -51 Flat Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 94 mb 99 mb +5 Warehouse Capacity (1,000 tons) 13.8 k-tons 26.7 k-tons +12.9 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 2,267,185 bu 2,111,503 bu -155,682 bu Median Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 764,000 bu 844,000 bu +80,000 bu
No Railroad Access (# (%)) 65 (32%) 87 (44%) +22 (+12%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 3,918 3,557 -361 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 11 (5.3%) 10 (5.1%) -1 (-0.2%) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 15 (7.3%) 17 (8.5%) +2 (+1.2%)
Trang 8C Changes in Kansas Joint Venture Grain Elevators
Table 2b shows that the number of joint venture grain elevators in Kansas declined from 2008 (6) to 2015 (1) However, the grain storage capacity of Kansas joint venture elevators increased sharply from 2008 to 2015 (up 18.4 mb or 277% from 10.4 mb in 2008 to 28.8 mb in 2015) – with a sizable increase in upright grain storage (up 9.9 mbor 208% from 9.2 mb to 19.1 mb), and
an increase in flat grain storage facilities (up 8.5 mb or 808% from 1.2 mb to 9.7 mb) The average grain storage capacity of Kansas joint venture elevators increased from 1,734,500 bu in
2008 to 7,190,205 bu, while the median storage capacity of Kansas joint venture elevators increased from 1,340,000 bu in 2008 to 8,070,000 bu in 2015
The number of Kansas joint venture grain elevators with railcar access was unchanged from 4 in
2008 and 2015, while the total amount of railcar capacity for joint venture elevators increased from 335 railcars in 2008 to 432 railcars in 2015 There were no Kansas joint venture grain elevators with 50-99 railcar handling capacity in either 2008 or 2015, but the number with 100+ railcar capacity increased from 3 in 2008 to 4 in 2015
Table 2b Kansas Joint Venture Grain Elevator Characteristics – 2008 & 2015
July
2008
August
C Joint Venture Grain Elevators in Kansas
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 10.4 mb 28.8 mb +18.4 Upright Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 9.2 mb 19.1 mb +9.9 Flat Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 1.2 mb 9.7 mb +8.5 Warehouse Capacity (1,000 tons) 0 k-tons 0 k-tons No change Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,734,500 bu 7,190,205 bu +5,455,705 bu Median Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,340,000 bu 8,070,000 bu +6,730,000 bu
50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 0 (0%) 0 (0%) nc (nc %) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 3 (50%) 4 (80%) +1 (+30%)
D Proximity of Kansas Grain Elevators to Ethanol Plants
Table 3 shows the average distance from Kansas grain elevators to major ethanol plants in the state Due to some closings of old ethanol plants as well as the opening of some new ethanol processing facilities, the average and median distances from Kansas grain elevators to ethanol varied from 2008 to 2015
Trang 9Table 3 Kansas Grain Industry Ethanol Plant & Wheat Mill Proximity, and Local Grain Elevator
Competitive Firm Density – 2008 & 2015
A Elevator Distance to Ethanol Plants (Kansas)
Average distance to Ethanol Plant (miles) 165.2 177.2 +12.0 Median distance to Ethanol Plant (miles) 150.0 175.0 +25.0
KS Elevators within 105 miles of Ethanol Plant (# (%)) 571 (82%) 582 (85%) +11 (+3%)
KS Elevators within 55 miles of Ethanol Plant (# (%)) 317 (45%) 333 (48%) +15 (+3%)
B Elevator Distance to Wheat Mills (Kansas)
Median distance to Wheat Mills (miles) - 160
KS Elevators within 105 miles of Wheat Mills (# (%)) - 541 (79%)
KS Elevators within 55 miles of Wheat Mills (# (%)) - 282 (41%)
C Competitive Density of Grain Elevators (Kansas)
# Elevators within 15 miles in 2015 (# firms) - 4.7
# Competitive (non-affiliated) Firms w/in 15 miles - 3.3
% Competitive (non-affiliated) Firms w/in 15 miles - 66.7%
# Elevators within 35 miles in 2015 (# firms) - 23.6
# Competitive (non-affiliated) Firms w/in 35 miles - 19.9
% Competitive (non-affiliated) Firms w/in 35 miles - 84.3%
The average distance from a Kansas grain elevator to an ethanol plant was 165.2 miles in 2008, but increased to 177.2 miles in 2015 Similarly, the median distance from elevator to ethanol plant increased from 150.0 miles in 2008 to 175.0 in 2015
In 2008 a total of 571 of 695 (82%) of Kansas grain elevators were located with 105 miles of an ethanol plant in the state This compares of 582 of 687 (85%) in 2015 However, the
proportion of Kansas grain elevators located within 55 miles of a Kansas ethanol plant was less, with 317 of 695 (45%) located within 55 miles in 2008, and 333 (48%) located as such in 2015
E Proximity of Kansas Grain Elevators to Wheat Mills
Table 3 also shows the average distance from Kansas grain elevators to major wheat flour processing mills in the state The average distance from a Kansas grain elevator to an in-state wheat mill was 170 miles in 2015, with the median distance being 160 miles
Trang 10In 2015 a total of 541 of 687 (85%) grain elevators were located within 105 miles of a wheat
mill, but only 282 of 687 (41%) were located within 55 miles2015 However, the proportion of
Kansas grain elevators located within 55 miles of a Kansas ethanol plant was less, with 317 of
695 (45%) located within 55 miles in 2008, and 333 (48%) located as such in 2015
F Competitive Density of Kansas Grain Elevators
Table 3 shows the number of Kansas grain elevators located within 15 and 35 miles of each
other in 2015 – as well as whether these grain elevators are affiliated with each other (i.e.,
non-competitive with one another) or not affiliated and assumed to be potential competitors
In 2015 on average there were 4.7 grain elevators located within 15 miles of each other in
Kansas, with 3.3 of them being non-affiliated competitors or 66.7% of the grain elevators in that
same 15-mile radius Looking at a broader competitive market area, in 2015 there were on
average 23.6 grain elevators located within a 35-mile radius of any one Kansas grain elevator,
with 19.9 of them being non-affiliated or competitive, i.e., 84.3% of the grain elevators located
within that same 35-mile radius
G Western Kansas Grain Elevator Industry Characteristics
The characteristics of the Kansas grain elevator industry in the western three crop reporting
districts of the state – Northwest (CRD 10), West Central (CRD 20), and Southwest (CRD 30) are
shown in Table 4a and Table 5
Northwest Kansas (CRD 10): The closure of a major rail line and ongoing concentration of rail
service on larger facilities during the 2008-2015 period affected this region Considerable
growth in grain elevator storage capacity occurred – most of it concentrated at a small number
of grain elevator locations Ethanol plants are located within this area (Campus-Oakley) and
near it to the north (Trenton, NE) and east (Phillipsburg) impact grain markets in this region
Colby and Goodland are major grain transportation / handling centers in this area
In 2008 Northwest Kansas had 32 cooperative grain elevators, 14 independents, and 3 joint
ventures, with those figures changing to 35 cooperatives, 12 independents, and 1 joint venture
in 2015 (Table 4a) The number of grain elevators declined by 1 from 48 in 2008 to 47 in 2015
Grain elevator storage capacity increased by 29.4 mb (up 51.5%) from 57.1 mb in 2008 to 86.5
mb in 2015, while average grain elevator storage capacity increased by 632,532 bu, from
1,164,531 bu in 2008 to 1,802,063 bu in 2015
The number of grain elevators with railcar access in Northwest Kansas declined dramatically
from 36 (77% of all elevators) in 2008 to 21 (44% of all elevators) in 2015, with total railcar
capacity declining from 558 railcars in 2008 to 356 railcars in 2015 (Table 4a) Northwest
Kansas grain elevators with 50-99 railcar handling capacity declined from 2 in 2008 to 1 in 2015,
while the number with 100+ railcar capacity was unchanged from 1 in 2008 to 1 in 2015
In 2008, 31 of 48 (61%) of Northwest Kansas grain elevators were located within 55 miles of an
ethanol plant in the state, with 27 of 47 (56%) located within 55 miles in 2015 (Table 5) In
2015 on average there were 2.9 non-affiliated grain elevator competitors within a 15-mile
radius in Northwest Kansas, equaling 69% of the elevators located within that 15 mile radius
Trang 11Table 4a Western Kansas Grain Industry Characteristics – Northwest, West Central, &
Southwest Kansas – 2008 & 2015
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 57.1 mb 86.5 mb +29.4 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,164,531 bu 1,802,063 bu +637,532 Railroad Access (# (%)) 36 (77%) 21 (44%) -15 (-33%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 558 356 -202 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 2 (4.1%) 1 (2.1%) -1 (-2.0%) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 1 (2.0%) 1 (2.1%) nc (+0.1%)
# Cooperatives / Independents / Joint Ventures 32 C /14 I /3 JV 35 C /12 I /1 JV +3 C /-2 I /-2 JV
B West Central Kansas (CRD 20)
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 61.3 mb 67.8 mb +6.5 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,095,107 bu 1,149,729 bu +54,622 Railroad Access (# (%)) 48 (86%) 46 (78%) -2 (-8%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 990 1,007 -172 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 2 (3.6%) 2 (3.4%) nc (-0.2%) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 4 (7.1%) 4 (6.8%) nc (-0.3%)
# Cooperatives / Independents / Joint Ventures 35 C /21 I /0 JV 40 C /19 I /0 JV +5 C /-2 I /nc JV
C Southwest Kansas (CRD 30)
All Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (million bu) 179.5 mb 218.7 mb +39.2 Average Grain Elevator Storage Capacity (bushels) 1,812,970 bu 2,301,705 bu +488,735 Railroad Access (# (%)) 78 (79%) 70 (74%) -8 (-5%) All Railcar Handling Capacity (# railcars) 1,687 1,467 -220 50-99 rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 2 (2.1%) 1 (1.1%) -1 (-1.0%) 100+ rail car handling capacity (# elevators (%)) 6 (6.1%) 8 (8.4%) +2 (+2.3%)
# Cooperatives / Independents / Joint Ventures 69 C /29 I /1 JV 70 C /24 I /1 JV +1 C /-5 I /nc JV