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A scale-tipping harvest, a lack of bin space from last year and a shortage of rail cars have some farmers, and some elevators, pouring wheat on the ground because there’s no place to put it.

The ripening corn and soybean fields stretch for miles in every direction from Dennis Wentworth’s farm in Downs, Illinois.

Adequate capacity during demand surges is key to export efficiencies

There’s little room to make up for any new weather disruptions, with U.S. economic growth keeping tracks packed with consumer goods, building materials, oil, and grain.

U.S. buyers are sourcing grain from other suppliers as Canadian companies are not confident they will get enough rail cars to deliver on southern rail corridors.

BNSF, which has come under scrutiny this year from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board over late grain deliveries, has told some oil shippers its network can’t accommodate more tank cars.

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple opened a federal hearing in Fargo about rail service delays in the upper Plains by reading a letter from a grain elevator that said Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. was 525 cars behind in its service.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp says farmers have been “tremendously patient” about rail delays, “but that patience is wearing thin.”

Minnesota officials and propane suppliers say they’re better prepared to avoid repeating the shortages that hit much of the Midwest last winter.

Gov. Mark Dayton is urging the federal government to step in on railroad delays hitting Minnesota grain farmers.