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Farmers feel the impact of soaring diesel prices

A pair of farmers say extremely high diesel prices are forcing them to rethink how they manage equipment and field work this fall.

“I think the fuel price is up 60 percent from last winter and spring. It’s just hard to fathom”

Eastern Nebraska farmer Quentin Connealy says he didn’t get enough fuel locked in earlier this year and is purchasing the input as he needs it. “I’m probably not going to make as many passes for tillage unless something is absolutely needed out in the field. I just don’t want to burn through that fuel consumption more than we have to in spots.”

Northeast Kansas farmer Scott Gigstad says the higher prices could not be coming at a worse time. “It’s $700 to fill a truck up with diesel fuel. Heavens, just last weekend, I put diesel fuel in a pick up and it was $178. When we get to thinking about to using larger volumes of fuel it’s going to get expensive, and it’s going to get expensive really quick.”

He says most farm expenses are out of control and impacting his bottom line. “Fuel costs usually have a tie to fertilizer costs as well. I think we all know that fertilizer costs are extremely inflated right now, and that is a major expense for U.S. agriculture.”

Both producers say they will looking into pricing from several retailers this fall to reduce costs as much as possible.