By Drew Kientzy
April 23, 2026
Although many farms are starting the planting season with bulk tanks full of sub-$3-per-gallon diesel purchased over the winter, the first refill this spring could cost $1.50-plus per gallon more than they paid for their last delivery.
Rising fuel costs are another worry on top of skyrocketing fertilizer prices. The impact of high fuel prices on a farm’s bottom line can be identified with an enterprise budget and might not be as large as many farmers expect, Drew Kientzy, a University of Missouri Extension senior research analyst, said.
“For a fuel-intensive operating style that includes two passes with tillage tools, planting, two spray applications, harvesting and trucking corn yielding 180 bushels per-acre, roughly 7.5 gallons of fuel are used per acre,” Kientzy said. “The per acre impact of the recent fuel price changes is $11.25 per acre higher than projections made in the fall, bringing total fuel costs from $21.75 to $33 per acre today.”
The cost of fuel is often front of mind when considering overall machine-related expenses. The 2026 MU Extension Missouri Corn Budget estimated a machinery operating cost of $82.99 per acre, based on off-road diesel price estimates in November 2025 of $2.90 per gallon. When adjusted for the market action over the past five months, machine operating costs rise to $94.24 per acre.
Kientzy points out that repairs, depreciation and interest are the largest equipment-related expenses on some farms.
“The 2026 Missouri corn budget estimates that fuel makes up 18% of total machinery costs and 5% of total production cost at today’s diesel price,” he said. “If a farm had all inputs except fuel locked in on Jan. 1, net returns to land decline from $120 per acre to $108 based on recent changes in fuel cost alone.”
Read more from MU Extension
