Port of Johnstown had average year, stored 249,000 metric tonnes of crop

By Tom Collins

JOHNSTOWN — It was an average year for corn, soybeans and wheat passing through Eastern Ontario’s largest grain storage facility in 2014.

Port of Johnstown — formerly known as Port of Prescott — brought in 249,000 metric tonnes of crop: 105,000 metric tonnes of soybeans, 101,000 metric tonnes of corn and 43,000 metric tonnes of wheat.

All three crops were down slightly from 2013, and were well short of the record 2010 season, which saw 705,000 metric tonnes pass through the port and leave by ship, train or truck.

The port saw 7,100 truckloads last year, including 100 per day on average in October.

“Wheat actually has been trending down in this area for a few years,” said operations manager Kevin Saunders. “The corn and soybeans are more attractive on pricing than wheat’s been, so producers have moved in that direction.”

The port, owned by the Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal (pop. 6,900), saw steady business last year, with no one month being busier than the rest.

Deliveries were consistent over the last quarter of 2014, Saunders said. “Weather was a big factor on that. With the amount of rain we had in the fall, farmers did a lot of stopping and starting.”