News

Michigan joins growing list of states allowing farmers to use red-dyed diesel over the road

Michigan’s governor has declared a state of energy emergency, allowing temporary use of dyed diesel fuel on public roads.

National Corn Growers Association President and Michigan farmer Matt Frostic tells Brownfield record diesel prices have been compounding profitability challenges for farmers.

“With high fertilizer issues in the spring along with other things, and then come fall, we have high diesel fuel prices to go with it—it just chips away more at that balance sheet negative number that we’re probably going to experience this fall,” he says.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order allows vehicles with farm or wood harvester license plates to use dyed diesel fuel on state highways until the end of the year.

Whitmer’s actions waive the 52-cent-per-gallon state tax on diesel, which Frostic says farmers use most during the harvest season.

Michigan Farm Bureau President Ben LaCross says every bit of savings helps farmers and loggers bring in the harvest and keep agricultural products moving.

More than a dozen states have announced measures to help lower diesel costs this fall.