A small amount of grain went through southern British Columbia after mudslides were cleared by the two major railways.

CP Rail was operating last Tuesday and CN Rail resumed late in the week.  The general manager of the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission says 600 rail cars were moved at slower speeds last week.

“That is just a fraction of the inventory that is in place,” Tom Steve said. “On the other end of it, you have ships that are in position at English Bay or at the Port of Vancouver that are waiting to be loaded. There is a serious backlog that is unfolding in the country.”

Grain companies and farmers are watching the situation with concern.

“I don’t think we have quite seen the full impact of that yet,” he said. “With a smaller crop, it’s maybe not be as much of a backlog as we experienced in 2013-14 when we had a record crop.”

The problem arises if producer deliveries are delayed in the country, they are unable to convert their crop into cash.

Both railways did not move cars on Sunday and into Monday as a safety precaution during the ongoing rain. There were no additional mudslides, but more rain is in the forecast later this week.