Schumer pushes for federal designation to allow Port of Oswego to export grain

OSWEGO, N.Y. — The Port of Oswego and SUNY Oswego need a special federal designation that would allow the port to export grain and other agricultural products for the first time in its history.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced his push for the designation during a Thursday afternoon appearance at SUNY Oswego’s Shineman Center, his office said in a news release.

The Port of Oswego annually accepts about 10 million bushels of grain, including soybeans, corn, and wheat. From there, companies, such as Perdue Agribusiness, send the grains by rail to Virginia for exporting because the Port of Oswego isn’t eligible for grain exports, Schumer’s office said.

If the venue could secure a certificate from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make it eligible for exporting, then Schumer contends companies would “likely instead export out of Oswego and grow their footprint in the area,” according to his office.

The USDA certificate would make the port eligible to conduct the weighing and inspections required to safely export the grain.

SUNY Oswego would also play a “major role” in the weighing and inspection process, opening up new opportunities for students and faculty to get hands-on experience and training, the lawmaker’s office said.

Schumer urged the USDA to provide the Port of Oswego with this special designation, noting that it will create more jobs and help grow the local economy.

“Each and every day, goods like aluminum, cement and salt come in and out of the Port of Oswego, so it makes no sense why grains can come in but cannot be shipped out,” Schumer said in the news release. “The inability to export grains is a lost opportunity for the Port and the entire Central New York economy, and I am calling on the USDA to remedy the situation.” 

SUNY Oswego and the Port of Oswego have come up with a “common-sense” solution to provide the weighing and testing that are required in order to export the grains. That’s why Schumer said he’s pushing for the “green light” from the USDA.

The Democrat doesn’t feel companies should ship goods and jobs down to Virginia when Oswego has “the need and capability.”

“That is why I am calling on the USDA to work with the Port and SUNY to identify the best way to make grain exports a reality. This designation would bring in jobs at the port, on nearby farms, and at the companies that count on the Port each day; and it would provide one-of-a-kind opportunities to students and faculty at SUNY Oswego,” said Schumer.

The Port of Oswego, in collaboration with SUNY, can pursue two types of designations, Schumer explained in the news release.

The first is called “delegated” status, which would make New York, and by extension the Port of Oswego, a certified weigher and grader of exports.

The second option is a designation for smaller ports like Oswego, called “designated” status, where a local entity like SUNY Oswego gets the accreditation it needs to conduct the weighing and testing at a specific port.

Both designations could work for the Port of Oswego and help companies ship grains both domestically and internationally, Schumer said.

He urged the USDA to work with the Port and SUNY Oswego to identify the best opportunity, his office said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com