Higher diesel prices already have added to a farmer’s cost to run farm machinery and now comes a double whammy — surcharges added by transport companies just in time for moving the fall harvest and preparations for the next planting season, according to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Some of the blame is placed on the escalating war between Russia and Ukraine, which has attacked several Russian oil refineries.
Russia, which on Sept. 14 suspended diesel exports in response, produces one in nine global diesel barrel exports.
Adding to the farmers’ cost pressure are American refineries dealing with issues such as flooding and labor disputes.
The price of diesel gas has risen 43 cents to about $6.20 per gallon since mid-August, doubling from what it was in 2025.
With farmers already facing higher prices on inputs such as fertilizer, seeds and pesticides, and losing money on crops such as corn and soybeans, the energy crisis will likely affect operational plans such as whether to grow their herds.
