Image source: Julia Nikhinson, AP photo

ProAg extends its deepest sympathy to those impacted by the Maryland bridge collapse.

The aftermath could have a long-term impact on agriculture. The Port of Baltimore serves as the largest entry point in the U.S. for large agriculture and construction equipment bound for the Midwest. According to DAT Freight and Analytics, a freight-exchange service, this includes combines, forklifts, bulldozers and heavy-duty trucks.

Currently, farm machinery dealerships are well stocked, which means there may be little short-term impact, according to Lancaster Farming’s Philip Gruber. But the longer it takes for Baltimore to recover, the greater the risk that inventories will shrink and prices will rise.

While machinery shipments may be impacted, there likely won’t be as much disruption for shipments of U.S. agriculture commodities, according to AgWeb’s Cheyenne Kramer.

Read more on the agricultural impact of the Maryland bridge collapse here.