Rising Diesel Prices Hitting Farmers on Both Sides of Border

Nov 08, 2022

The high cost of diesel fuel is hitting both Canadian and US farmers hard as they grind through the fall harvest.

According to the American Farm Bureau, US diesel prices are averaging US$5.32/gallon, more than $1.50 above the same time last year. On this side of the border, Natural Resources Canada is reporting the average national retail price of diesel for the week of Nov. 8 at just over $2.23/litre, up 52% from the same time last year and more than double the level of two years ago.

Canadian prices vary by province, with retail prices in New Brunswick pushing over the $3 mark on the weekend. For some farmers on this side of the border, that is adding an extra $1,000 per day to the cost of their harvest.

A ban on imports of petroleum from Russia, lower US production capacity, and seasonal demand are all contributing to the higher cost of diesel, with US Energy Information Administration (EIA) late last month reporting inventories of distillate fuels such as diesel and heating oil at their lowest levels since 2008.

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?