Widespread drought conditions around the globe have impacted water levels on many waterways the agriculture industry relies on for transportation, including the Panama Canal. The canal has had to slow or stall ships needing to pass through, causing some barges to divert their typical path. The Panama Canal relies on Gatun Lake, an artificial lake standing 85 feet above sea level. As of December 10, the lake was at 81.6 feet. It’s also important to the story to know Panama’s rainy season is just ending.

While the water situation isn’t good currently, it isn’t going to improve anytime soon. The Panama Canal Authority encourages grain ships to load from the U.S. Gulf in the next three months with plans to travel to Asia. They will need to contact the Panama Canal Authority to book and pay a fee for a specific date in the future.

Read more on Panama Canal transportation challenges here.