Farmers struggling with record-breaking diesel prices ahead of harvest season
American farmers harvesting two of the country's most vital crops, corn and soybeans, are confronting unprecedented diesel costs to operate their tractors, combines, and heavy machinery.
The surge in fuel prices creates further strain during a challenging year marked by rising expenditures for seeds, machinery, and fertilizer.
Global fuel supply disruptions linked to the ongoing six-month war with Iran drove U.S. diesel to a record average of $5.85 per gallon on Sept. 4.
Figures from AAA show rates continued upward, climbing to a national average of $6.05 a gallon on Friday.
"Those prices hurt," said Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"And it’s not just the harvesting. It’s the hauling of everything, moving the grain or the silage from the field to the farm and then from the farm to wherever they're selling it."
Near Forest City, Missouri, corn and soybean farmer Jason Kurtz has seen his diesel expense double compared to last year.
Operating his combine requires 200 gallons (750 liters) of fuel daily across an estimated 30-day harvest, alongside the fuel demands of his trucks and tractor.
"We have to harvest," he said in an interview at his farm about 90 miles (145 kilometers) outside Kansas City on Tuesday. "We have to run the machines. We have to use the diesel, so it cuts into our bottom line."
Kurtz, 49, noted his budget was "already tight" following earlier cost increases for agricultural chemicals and fertilizer.
AAA data indicates U.S. diesel rates have surged by 60% since the U.S. and Israel began their military campaign against Iran in late February, when fuel averaged roughly $3.76 per gallon.
The conflict disrupted oil tanker shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, driving up crude oil values—the primary component of gasoline and diesel.
"Farms that are cash-strapped, they’re the ones that are most having to figure out what to cut to make this work," Mitchell said. "There are a lot of farms facing that."
Kurtz, who voted for President Donald Trump, intends to delay certain field duties in hopes that fuel costs will eventually drop.
"That’s one good thing about farming," he said. "Tomorrow will be different."
