By Ryan Hanrahan
Reuters’ Bo Erickson and Kanishka Singh reported that “President Donald Trump said on Monday the US Department of Agriculture will launch what he called a new ‘harvest fuel relief program’ that will provide farmers with $8 billion in support to ?offset diesel costs during the harvest season.”
“‘Tonight, I’m also pleased to announce that the Department ?of Agriculture will be launching a new harvest fuel relief program, providing our ?farmers with $8 billion in support to offset diesel costs during this harvest season,’ Trump said ?in a midterm election campaign speech in Kansas,” Erickson and Singh reported. “The announcement was the latest in a series of financial promises and ?pledges that the Republican leader has made to voters heading into the November midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake.”
Bloomberg’s Ben Westcott reported that the program “comes as the American harvest is reaching its peak, with more than 64% of the soybean crop already taken in, according to USDA data for the week ending Oct. 18. Almost half of the corn crop has also been harvested.”
“Diesel prices have surged globally as the US-Iran conflict constrains fuel exports through the Strait of Hormuz,” Westcott reported. “Retail prices in the US hit a record at $6.50 a gallon in September, creating headaches for the US president ahead of midterm elections.
Source : illinois.edu