After months without any updates regarding the use of feeder hole loading during periods of inclement weather, there has been some recent progress. Several terminals in the Port of Vancouver have been experimenting with feeder hole testing with minor success and lots of frustration thus far. The first testing we had heard about occurred at Kinder Morgan Terminal earlier this month. The first shift was difficult as the terminal worked through the objections raised by the longshoremen. On this first test, no cargo was recorded throughout the entire shift. Subsequent tests went smoother, and finally some cargo was successfully loaded via feeder holes. Going forward, the terminal is optimistic that operations can be improved. On day 2 of testing, set-up time took around 4 hours before cargo was loaded which the terminal believes can be reduced by further training and improved procedures. Improving set-up will be important going forward as minimizing delays while labour is standing by will save significant costs. To date, Kinder Morgan has successfully loaded through feeder holes through 4 shifts which is a positive step in the right direction.

At Cargill Terminal, the stevedores and terminal have gone through multiple rounds of testing on a couple of different ships. On the first day of testing, no cargo was loaded through feeder holes as there were some mechanical issues that prevented the correct set-up. On the next vessel, the set-up process went smoothly but unfortunately again no cargo was loaded through feeder holes. While these tests may not seem successful at first glance because no cargo was loaded, these are important progressions necessary in bringing feeder hole operations back in to use in the Port of Vancouver. For instance, it allows for the stevedores to identify the correct configuration of the guard rails and where/how they need to be placed around the hold. Looking ahead, the employer, longshoremen union and the stevedores are scheduled to meet again in early November to address further safety concerns that have been raised throughout the past month of testing. As Vancouver enters the rainy/snowy season, all parties are optimistic that feeder hole operations will return to ease vessel congestion in the Port.

Reports regarding slow harvest progress throughout Western Canadian grain producers have surfaced over the last month. Farmers and railway representatives alike point to the generally poor weather conditions as a contributor to delaying an already late maturity of crops expected this season. The unusually cold and wet conditions have the potential to jeopardize the integrity of the crops and cause higher than normal volumes later in the crop season. All of these factors have put pressure on the rail systems across Western Canada and delayed the movement of grain from export terminals.

With snow falling continually through the end of September and into the early days of October, the residual moisture and cold temperatures can cause potential damage to existing crops. In its crop report for the September 24 to 30 period of 2019, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture details that “47 per cent of the crop is now combined” which is significantly lower than the five-year average of “75 per cent combined for this time of year.” The current conditions make it difficult to harvest the crop and delays are likely to continue until more cooperative weather arrives.

Farmers aren’t the only ones feeling the repercussions of an unusually cold and wet crop season as the effects have reverberated to the railways as well. Considering this season is forecasted to result in a particularly large crop output, the late harvesting will have ramifications on the ability for both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway to service the grain industry later in the year. According to The Western Producer; the “western Canadian harvest is as much as 30 percent behind normal this year” which will “put pressure on the railway to move more grain later in the shipping year” as the railways still have to contend with carry over crop from the previous year. The railways will face challenges over the next few months to make up the difference for the slow harvest through September as they are faced with rail cars that have already been booked to capacity throughout the winter.

The delayed harvest throughout the grain producing provinces has had effects on the terminals of the West Coast as well. Throughout the last month the average waiting times for bulk vessels tasked with loading grain have started to rise as the arrival of rail cars becomes harder to predict. It is certainly not unusual for vessels to remain in port for multiple weeks as they wait for both cargo arrivals and for their respective berths availability. According to this Quorum report for week 8 of the 2019-20 grain shipping year, the number of vessels with a total stay in Port of over 15 days in both the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert has been increasing since the start of September.