Diesel Prices Skyrocket to Record High, Devastating Farmers and Food Supply Chain
Farmers in rural Michigan are feeling the pinch of high diesel prices, which have skyrocketed to $6.285 per gallon, a whopping 72% more than the 2025 annual average.
The price hike is affecting not just farmers but also the entire food and transportation system, as many goods rely on diesel for transportation.
An analysis by Iowa State University estimates that harvesting corn alone takes about 1.45 gallons of diesel per acre, while total fuel use for planting, spraying, and harvesting row crops can range from 2 to 6 gallons per acre.
The increased cost of diesel is estimated to be around $21,000 more than last year's average price, with the increase adding about $10.50 per acre in direct field-operation fuel costs using a conservative four-gallon estimate.