Rising cost of fuel putting pinch on farmers

These days, Hinds County farmer Scott Cannada has to take a look at his financial balance sheet before taking a tractor ride across his 1,000-acre farm.

Last spring, Mississippi farmers paid about $1.73 a gallon for farm diesel fuel but are facing a 20-percent increase this year. Some farmers are fearful of financial ruin this season.

“Everything we touch has gone up in the last year,” Cannada said. “We hope that we will be able to pay the bills this year.”

Since 2002, farm diesel prices have tripled, though the average price today is below the post-Hurricane Katrina high of about $2.53 per gallon.

The Clarion-Ledger (Mississippi)