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Diesel prices hit another record, supplies vulnerable
Record high diesel prices are having rippling effects throughout the ag industry.
“We are back to setting new records for the price of diesel on a near daily basis,” said GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan.
De Haan tells Brownfield the national average hit $5.63 per gallon on Monday, and that a diesel shortage could be looming.
“A refinery kink or a hurricane could disrupt that very much last-minute delivery of things like diesel,” De Haan said. “There is the possibility that we could see some issues with diesel this summer.”
South-Central Nebraska farmer Doug Saathoff says the outlook is uncertain. “I haven’t looked into booking for next year,” he said. “We’ve just got to see something change drastically in the price.”
He tells Brownfield he’s absorbing the sticker shock wherever he can. “Maybe less trips through the field, trying and watch our soil moisture so we can maybe cut down on a few irrigations.”
De Haan says supplies are 25 percent below the five-year average because of a shortage in refining capacity.