Record Diesel Prices Squeeze US Farmers Amid Harvest Season

Farmers in the US are facing record-high diesel prices during harvest season, which could lead to higher food prices for consumers. The average US diesel price hit a new record of $6.29 per gallon this week, up 68% from last year's price of $3.74. This surge in fuel costs is squeezing farmers' already thin margins and forcing them to make tough decisions about how to manage their expenses.

Addie Yoder, a corn, soybean, and cattle farmer in northeast Missouri, runs two combines that each require 300 gallons of diesel to harvest her crops. She has had to cut back on other expenses to cope with the rising fuel costs. 'You can't just say, well, diesel is expensive, I'm not going to harvest,' she said.

David Ortega, an economist at Michigan State University, warned that higher diesel prices will have a ripple effect throughout the food supply chain, leading to increased costs for consumers. 'The majority of our food moves on trucks and those trucks use diesel,' he explained.