Black Farmers Group Warns $7 Diesel Deepens U.S. Farm Crisis During Harvest
Updated
Updated · NPR · Sep 21
Black Farmers Group Warns $7 Diesel Deepens U.S. Farm Crisis During Harvest
3 articles · Updated · NPR · Sep 21
Summary
$7-a-gallon diesel is forcing farmers to pay about $1,000 to fill a tractor or combine during harvest, John Boyd Jr. said, calling it a national farm crisis.
Boyd said fuel costs have nearly doubled from a year ago, while tariffs, war-driven input inflation and weak crop prices leave little room to absorb the hit; he cited corn at about $5 a bushel.
Soybean demand from China has not recovered, Boyd said, arguing purchases shifted to Argentina and the market never fully came back for U.S. growers.
More than 400 Black farmers are now losing their farms and need financial assistance, Boyd said, underscoring broader foreclosure risks as harvest and soybean cutting continue.