As a result of closing two major rail crossings on December 18th the CNA, a major agricultural organization in Mexico analogous to our Farm Bureau Federation warned that supplies of soybean meal and yellow corn would run short. Because of a surge in illegal migrants, the Department of Homeland Security closed the two border bridges. The first connects El Paso, TX with Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and the second is the bridge from Eagle Pass, TX to Piedras Negras, Mexico. Collectively these crossings account for 45 percent of cross-border shipments.
Union Pacific Corporation noted that the closure had an economic impact exceeding $200 million per day. The CNA was supported by the Poultry Producers Association of Mexico noting that soybean meal inventory would last less than a week and yellow corn between eight and twenty days.
On our side of the Southwest border, forty agriculture organizations urged the Department of Homeland Security to reopen the rail bridges that are vital to shipping U.S. agricultural products including ethanol. Produce importers and distributors were running short of perishable stock from Mexico.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security the RFA stated “It is our firm belief that if food insecurity in Mexico increases, the migrant crisis could actually worsen with more attempts to cross the U.S. border. The letter added, “A supply chain and potential food security crisis in Mexico can be avoid by reopening the international crossings”.
Fortunately reason prevailed and rail traffic was restored on Friday 22nd.