Alberta grain growers face rail competition from crude producers

Grain farmers in Alberta, Canada, are having difficulty moving last fall's record harvest to various markets by rail because of competition from crude-oil producers for rail service, according to the Alberta Federation of Agriculture.

Although 2013 was a record year for grain growers, with production up about 40 percent for some crops, a lot of grain remains in storage and farmers are unable to transport it, federation officials say. More crude and other goods also are being moved by rail, creating a lot of competition for rail capacity, they say.

Farm groups from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba plan to issue recommendations to the Canadian government to help improve the grain transportation system