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Improving Michigan's ports, waterways could generate jobs

MEDC

Michigan's agriculture leaders gathered in Detroit recently to talk about how the state's ports and waterways can be used more effectively.

Michigan's agriculture industry generates about $91 billion a year. But some think transportation of the state's products could be improved.

"We've got 36 ports within Michigan. About four of them are actively dealing with commercial traffic," says Gordon Wenk, Chief Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Agricultural and Rural Development. "So I think we've got tremendous potential if we can increase the viability of transporting material in and out of those additional ports."

Wenk also says the state's planned new bridge between Detroit and Windsor will help ease a traffic bottleneck at the border.

Better transportation and logistics network would create jobs in Michigan, Wenk believes.