Montana Diesel Prices Reach Near Record Highs Amid US-Iran Conflict
Diesel prices in Montana have been rising since late February's US-Iran conflict and are now near record highs, affecting farmers, truckers, and other businesses.
The state's average diesel price is $6.23 a gallon, up from $3.65 last year and just below the record of $6.31 set in September 2022, according to GasBuddy data.
Agricultural economics professor Eric Belasco at Montana State University notes that farmers have limited ability to raise prices due to selling into competitive commodity markets.
The US Department of Agriculture forecasts American farmers will spend an additional $4.8 billion on fuel and oil in 2026, a 29% increase from the prior year.