By Lauren Cross
American farmers spent an estimated $1.4 billion more on diesel during the 2026 planting season than they did a year earlier, according to a July analysis released by the congressional Joint Economic Committee Minority.
The report estimates diesel costs for planting corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice increased 63.2% nationwide between the 2025 and 2026 planting seasons, driven by higher fuel prices.
The congressional committee, whose Democratic minority staff produced the analysis, said higher diesel prices followed the Trump administration’s military strikes on Iran.
Illinois recorded the nation’s largest overall increase in planting diesel costs, at an estimated $163.2 million, followed by Iowa ($151.1 million) and Minnesota ($101.7 million). Florida led the country in percentage increase at 90.6%, followed by Alabama (86.2%) and Oklahoma (85.9%).
The calculations only took into account the diesel used to plant corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, and rice.
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