Farmers are facing higher fuel bills as they harvest crops and haul grain to buyers and processing facilities, adding to the cost of getting their products to market.
Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, estimates a typical farm operation could spend $35,000 more on diesel fuel this year than last year.
“A typical farmer will easily spend $35,000 more this year in diesel fuel than they did last year,” Steenhoek said. “And I don’t know of a lot of farmers that have $35,000 just sitting underneath the sofa cushions in their living room.”
Steenhoek said the expense is difficult to avoid during harvest, when farmers depend on fuel to operate equipment and transport crops.
The increase is particularly frustrating, he said, because higher fuel spending does not provide the improvements that sometimes accompany other farm purchases.
More expensive seed may offer new traits, while a new piece of equipment may come with updated technology. Higher diesel prices, however, mean farmers are paying more for the same product.
“When you’re spending more on diesel fuel, what you’re buying is the exact same thing as you purchased last year and the year before and the year before,” Steenhoek said. “You’re just paying more for it.”