Diesel Prices Reach Record High, Worsening Financial Strains on US Farmers

The price of diesel fuel has reached a record high in the US, causing financial strain for many farmers. The average price of diesel is now $6.05 per gallon, up from $3.76 before the conflict with Iran began in late February.

Farmers are particularly affected as they rely heavily on diesel to power their equipment during harvesting season. Jason Kurtz, a corn and soybean farmer in Missouri, said he was paying twice as much for diesel this year and had to cut back on farm work until prices fall.

The increased cost of fuel adds to an already tough year for farmers, who have also faced higher costs for fertilizer, seeds, and equipment. According to Paul Mitchell, a professor of agricultural and applied economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, 'farms that are cash strapped, they're the ones that are most having to figure out what to cut to make this work.'