In hopes of reducing stress on U.S. grain transportation systems, the USDA made $7.6 million available in early November to relieve barge congestion on the Mississippi River caused by Hurricane Katrina. A competitive bid process was opened to contract assistance in unloading grain commodities to speed up the availability of empty barges, which were then sent back upstream to reload. The tentative deadline for unloading barges trapped in New Orleans, courtesy of Hurricane Katrina, was set for Dec. 1, the USDA reported.