Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Environment
Sara Murphy

Diesel prices squeeze US farmers ‘barely getting by’ amid tariffs and drought

A man stands on the front of a green tractor in a freshly tilled field, holding a fuel nozzle.
A worker fuels a tractor while tilling a field in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, in April. Photograph: Mark Mirko/Connecticut Public via Getty Images

It has been a tough few years for American farmers.

Squeezed last year by tariffs, they lost an estimated $34.6bn when former trade partners stopped buying. Now, the war with Iran has not only depleted crucial fertilizer stores but has also driven diesel fuel up to record prices. Like the trucking industry, agriculture relies heavily on diesel to run machinery, as diesel-powered engines are more fuel efficient than gasoline-powered ones.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.