AgroLatam’s Marcus Ellington reported that “American farmers are facing an estimated $2.4 billion increase in diesel expenses during the 2025-2026 planting and harvesting season, according to an analysis released in October 2026 by Democrats on the U.S. Joint Economic Committee.”
“The study projects a 68% year-over-year increase in fuel spending across five major crops, raising concerns about farm profitability as producers manage rising operating costs,” Ellington reported. “… The October findings expand on an earlier congressional assessment published in July 2026, which examined rising diesel expenses during spring planting. As reported by Agriculture.com on October 27, the updated study incorporates harvesting costs, providing a broader estimate of the financial burden facing crop producers.”
“The projected 68% increase refers specifically to estimated diesel spending for planting and harvesting the five crops analyzed, rather than a 68% increase in total farm operating expenses,” Ellington reported. The five crops analyzed were corn, soybeans, spring wheat, cotton and rice.
Successful Farming’s Mariah Squire reported that “Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota had the highest estimated dollar increases in planting and harvesting diesel costs, the study reported,” while Florida, Oklahoma and New Mexico had the highest percent increase in planting and harvesting diesel costs.
“Sixteen of the nation’s top 18 corn-growing states were included in the top 20 states affected,” Squire reported. “All of the nation’s top 18 soybean-growing states were included in the top 20 states affected.”
“The committee also estimated the price to refill a typical 750-gallon farm fuel tank increased $1,995 nationally,” Squire reported. “The largest increases were reported for California ($2,448), Ohio ($2,214), and Michigan ($2,204). For 24 of the states, reported increases were at least $2,000.”
Diesel Aid for Farmers Expected After Midterm Elections
Reuters’ Leah Douglas reported that “the Trump administration’s $8 billion in diesel aid for farmers will be disbursed after the November 3 election, an administration official said.”
“President Donald Trump announced the aid at a rally in Kansas on Monday as part of a suite of costly and politically fraught actions to offer Americans relief from high fuel prices driven up by the war in Iran,” Douglas reported. “US Department of Agriculture official Richard Fordyce told Reuters the exact timing of payments is still to be determined. ‘It’s going to be close to the end of the year, would be my guess,’ Fordyce said. ‘That is a little unclear at this point.'”
More Aid for Farmers Could be Coming From Congress
AgWeb’s Michelle Rook reported that in addition to the $8 billion in diesel aid, “Congress is still working on another round of assistance for farmers for 2026.”
“John Newton, vice president of public policy and economic analysis for the American Farm Bureau Federation, says lawmakers are weighing additional relief tied to fuel costs,” Rook reported. “‘There are a lot of farmers who are dealing with high diesel prices, and we’ve been in close communication with champions in the Senate and the House who were seeking as much as $17 to $20 billion in economic support for agriculture, so there’s the possibility that Congress could still act,’ Newton says.”
