Record diesel prices put pressure on Cape Fear farmers

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY-TV) — Diesel prices hit a record average of $6.51 a gallon Monday as tensions continue to rise around the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran.

The surge in fuel costs is putting additional pressure on farmers across the Cape Fear region, who are already dealing with the effects of drought and heavy rain.

At Trask Family Farm, staff are preparing for a busy fall season after a difficult summer. But steep diesel prices are forcing the farm to stretch its budget even further.

“You have to be really frugal about what you spend your money on,” said Graham Trask, owner of Trask Family Farm.

Trask said the farm has been cutting back where it can to manage rising costs.

“Do you really need to mow that day? Or can it wait a couple more days? You kind of stretch things out as far as you can without losing quality in what you have,” he said.

According to AAA, the average price of diesel is up nearly $1 from last month and more than $3.69 compared with the same time last year.

At Trask Family Farm, nearly all of the equipment — from excavators and dump trucks to two tractors — relies on diesel.

“To fill up both of them, it’s $340, and we could use all of that in a day,” Trask said.

Jimmy Porter, who farms off Kerr Avenue, said he is also feeling the impact of rising fuel costs.

Porter said his corn harvest this year produced about half as many bushels as last year because of drought. Now, he said, the cost of transporting what he did harvest is adding another financial burden.

“But the price of diesel fuel is not only hurting me but also the guys that haul the corn for us to the end user,” Porter said.

Porter said it costs about $700 to fill a diesel truck used to transport his corn.

As a farmer, Porter said, he has little ability to pass those additional costs on to consumers.

“I hope in a few more weeks or months this will come to an end because I need to make a living,” Porter said. “I can’t pass the expense on to you or anyone else unless you are a retailer or end user.”

Despite the higher costs, Trask Family Farm’s corn maze and pumpkin patch are underway, and Trask said the farm is continuing to move forward.

“It hasn’t been fun, but we’ve done it nonetheless,” he said.