Iowa Farmers Cry Out for Diesel Relief as Prices Skyrocket
Iowa's corn growers are facing economic hardship as diesel prices soar to nearly twice their average price from last year. With the harvest season underway, farmers are struggling to afford the fuel needed for their combines and tractors. The Iowa Corn Growers Association has asked Iowa's congressional delegates to help lower the cost of diesel.
The association's president, Steve Kuiper, wrote a letter to Iowa's senators and representatives asking them to push the Trump administration to release more oil from the U.S. Strategic Oil Reserve. He also requested that lawmakers investigate legislative mechanisms for waivers that would allow farmers to use dyed diesel fuel in on-road vehicles during economic hardships.
Average diesel prices in Iowa are currently $6.27 per gallon, nearly twice as expensive as this time last year. Some Republicans, including Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, have called for a ban on the export of U.S. diesel to provide relief for American farmers.