‘Toughest it's ever been': Indiana farmer faces $7 diesel at harvest, warns it hits ‘every person in the United States' — it was $3.78 last fall

“To me, it doesn’t make sense to go buy a whole bunch of fuel at $7 a gallon,” Lawson, told FOX59/CBS4. “But maybe that’s the best thing to do because it may be at $8 a gallon here in a week or two.”

While Lawson may be feeling the sticker shock first, he says it won’t necessarily stay on the farm.

“It’s not just us on the farm,” Lawson explained. “It affects every person in the United States because we supply the food.”

A costly harvest for farmers

As of Sept. 21, the average gallon of diesel in Indiana costs about $6.82, according to AAA, roughly 80% more than the $3.78 drivers were paying a year ago. Nationally, diesel has also reached a record $6.51 per gallon.

For farmers, the timing is particularly painful. Harvest season means long days running fuel-hungry equipment, so a rise in diesel prices can quickly add thousands of dollars to operating costs.

“This is the toughest it’s ever been in agriculture,” Lawson told the news outlet. “And that’s from top to bottom.”

The USDA expects U.S. farmers’ fuel and oil expenses to climb by $4.8 billion, or 28.8%, in 2026 compared with last year. Fertilizer, lime and soil conditioner expenses are also projected to rise 15.3%.

And Lawson isn’t the only Indiana farmer watching fuel costs eat into his harvest. In Posey County, farmer Randy Kron told 14 News that his combine burns about 25 gallons of diesel an hour, pushing his fuel bill above $1,500 on some harvest days, before accounting for the trucks needed to haul grain.

After more than 40 years in farming, Kron said he can’t remember diesel prices putting this much pressure on his operation.