Fuel Costs and Farm Bill Delays Hit US Farmers Hard
Two farmers from Kansas and Michigan discussed the state of their harvests during a recent roundtable. Chad Epler, a corn and soybean grower in southeast Kansas, reported that his farm wrapped up its corn harvest on August 19, beating the rest of the state by several weeks.
The crop was a success for Epler's farm, but he acknowledged that fuel costs were a major concern. National on-road diesel prices have reached an all-time high of $6 per gallon, putting pressure on farmers' bottom lines.
John Delmotte, a farmer from Monroe County in Michigan, echoed these concerns. His state is still several weeks behind Kansas in its harvest, and scattered weather issues have held back some fields.
The farmers also discussed the ongoing farm bill negotiations. They expressed frustration that the bill remains years overdue and argued that it's essential to have workable policy, including stronger enforcement against monopolization in the industry.