RIVER BARGES BACKED UP WITH GRAIN

Barges lined up on the Mississippi River at St. Louis waiting to move south are loaded mostly with grain, while many barges lined up at Cairo, Ill., are empty and are waiting to move north to pick up grain.

A few carry coal, petroleum or other petro-chemicals. The river remains closed because of high water.

Tom Murphy of Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. in Mound City, Ill., said ports in New Orleans are anxious to get grain to meet overseas export agreements.

As a result of the 1993 flood, grain sat so long in hot, humid weather that the quality began to deteriorate. Murphy said the wait this year hasn't been as long, and if traffic begins moving soon, quality should be OK.

Consolidated is moving corn and beans on the Ohio River, which remains open to traffic. Mississippi flooding has made its grain a little more valuable because it can be ship it downstream.

North of St. Louis, 871 loaded barges are waiting to head south.

"They are loaded mainly with grain," said George Foster, president of the St. Louis Harbor Association.

Foster said flooding is costly to the river industry. "In 1993, industry was losing $2 million a day," he said. "We are probably getting close to paralleling that now, but it's a little premature to make a guess."

Donnie Tucker. dispatcher for CGB Waterfront Services at Cairo, said between 700 and 900 barges, mostly grain barges, are waiting to head north.

Dan Overby of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority said fertilizer that normally would be unloaded at the port near Scott City isn't arriving because of the river being closed.

"Farmers still need fertilizer," he said. "They are getting it from stockpiled sources, or some companies are moving fertilizer in by rail or by truck."