Diesel prices impact on Alabama farmers, food cost

ALABAMA (WTVM) - As gas prices continue to set new records, local farmers and farmer’s markets are getting hit hard by the rising fuel costs.

The pain at the pump is top-of-mind for all Americans, but one industry that’s also feeling the effects of it is farmers.

“The high diesel prices have set us back it affects a lot of things you know it it affects everything that we have to buy of course everybody has the same problem but the the diesel is making it where we have to be very particular about what we what we try to do,” said Alabama farmer Larry Laney.

Laney sells cows on his farm. The high diesel costs caused him to raise prices on his products.

“I raise cows, and I buy peanut hay to feed my cows well. Peanut hay now is going to be reflected a price of 10 to $15 at least a bale higher just for the price of getting it here, so all of those things, I mean fuel is drives a awful lot of it.”

Bonny Tucker, a manager at Rainbow Foods in Phenix City, Alabama says the cost of diesel is causing shortages for certain items like chitterlings. In addition, some trucks are unable to bring items due to high fuel costs.

“With the truckers and even we get our groceries from a warehouse AG associated grocers but the cost of the fuel is causing the price of everything else to go up and also at the same time being if people can’t pay the price for them truckers to drive uh best way I can explain it it doesn’t get delivered,” said Tucker.

According to AAA, a year ago, diesel cost only $3.02. Now diesel costs $5.45

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