As farmers work to bring in this year’s crops, rising fuel costs are squeezing farm budgets and making it more expensive to haul crops
DES MOINES, Iowa — As Iowa farmers work to bring in this year’s corn and soybean harvest, record-high diesel prices due to the war in Iran are adding another significant expense to an already challenging season. Diesel powers the combines, tractors, and trucks farmers rely on to harvest crops and transport them, making fuel costs a critical part of getting Iowa’s agricultural products from the field to market.
The average price of diesel in Iowa reached $6.17 per gallon on October 21 up 80% from $3.41 a year earlier. These rising costs are hitting during harvest, when farmers depend on diesel to power combines and tractors and haul grain to market. For Iowa farmers already managing tight operating budgets, higher fuel prices mean another expense they cannot easily avoid.
The ongoing war with Iran has contributed to global fuel-supply disruptions and rising diesel prices, adding to the financial pressures facing Iowa’s agricultural economy. Earlier this year, in March, April, May, June, and July, Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn voted to support the war in Iran.
As harvest season continues, the cost of diesel remains an important concern for Iowa farmers, whose work supports rural communities, agricultural businesses and the state’s economy. And for farmers, the consequences extend beyond the cost of filling a tank. Diesel is essential to running heavy equipment in the fields and hauling harvested corn and soybeans to grain elevators, storage facilities and other destinations. Higher fuel costs cut into already-tight farm margins, making it harder for producers to make an income and invest in the next growing season.
Kevin, a retired Iowa farmer and former grain hauler, understands how fuel costs affect the work of moving agricultural products.
“Harvest is a busy time for Iowa farmers, and diesel is something they can’t just do without. You need it to run the equipment in the field and to haul grain where it needs to go. When fuel prices climb this high, it adds another expense at a time when farmers are already trying to make the numbers work. Those costs have real consequences for the people who grow our food and the rural communities that depend on agriculture.”