Forest City, Mo. – Missouri farmers are feeling the pinch of a historic rise in diesel fuel costs just as they gear up for the critical harvest of soybeans and corn. The average price of diesel hit $5.85 a gallon on Sept. 4, the first time it breached the $5 mark, and has since risen to $6.05 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). The surge follows a six‑month conflict with Iran that has disrupted global fuel flows.
Local growers describe the impact
Jason Kurtz, a 49‑year‑old corn and soybean farmer who lives about 90 miles outside Kansas City, says he is paying roughly twice what he did for diesel a year ago. “We have to harvest,” Kurtz told reporters. “We have to run the machines. We have to use the diesel, so it cuts into our bottom line.” His combine consumes about 200 gallons (760 liters) of fuel each day, and he expects to run it for roughly 30 days during the harvest season.
Kurtz, who voted for President Trump, noted that his finances are already tight after higher expenses for fertilizer and chemicals. He plans to postpone some farm work in hopes that diesel prices will ease later in the season. “That’s one good thing about farming,” he said. “Tomorrow will be different.”
Expert analysis
Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin‑Madison, warned that the price spike adds to an already challenging year for growers. “Those prices hurt,” Mitchell said. “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.” He noted that farms operating on thin cash flows are forced to make tough decisions about where to cut costs.
According to AAA data, diesel prices are now about 60 % higher than they were before the U.S. and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, when the national average was roughly $3.76 per gallon. The increase reflects a sharp rise in crude‑oil prices, the primary ingredient in diesel, as tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted.
Broader implications
The higher fuel costs affect not only the harvest but also the transportation of grain to market, potentially raising prices for consumers nationwide. While the Trump administration has emphasized energy independence and lower fuel taxes, the current geopolitical situation underscores the vulnerability of global fuel supplies.
Farmers like Kurtz are watching the market closely and hoping for a stabilization of prices before the harvest concludes. In the meantime, they continue to adapt, balancing the need to bring crops in with the reality of tighter margins.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
