CASH, Ark. — An executive order from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders allowing farmers to use untaxed red dyed diesel aims to alleviate financial pressure during harvest season. However, one farmer says the measure came too late to substantially help this year.
Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward announced that the executive order, which took effect this month and will last for 30 days, could save farmers an estimated 60 to 70 cents per gallon of diesel. The measure is designed to provide immediate relief during a critical time for agricultural operations.
"It’s the backbone of our state’s economy," Ward said. "So we’ve got to make sure that we’re doing what we can to support it."
Joe Christian, who owns JLC Farms in Cash, said diesel costs for his grain trucks have surged to nearly $50,000, doubling what he spent previously. Diesel accounts for roughly 25% of his farm’s total budget, he said.
"$50,000 is a hardship on us, you know," Christian said. "I mean, the increase in price of soybeans has not offset the price of fuel."
Although Christian is grateful for the potential to reduce costs, he wishes the order had been enacted earlier in the year.
"Anything helps — I’m not griping," he said. "I’m just saying, you know, it would have been nice if it had been a month ago."
AAA reports show the average price of diesel in Arkansas has risen sharply, from $3.35 per gallon a year ago to $6.06 per gallon this month. For Christian, the executive order came after he had already purchased and used much of his farm’s fuel for the season, limiting its impact.
Ward acknowledged concerns about timing. "I wish this was something that we could have been able to implement, you know, a month or two ago before harvest season started," he said. "But really as we got into harvest, saw those high prices, like, we’ve got to do something."
The governor’s office and state agriculture leaders are discussing steps to provide longer-term support once the 30-day order expires. Options for adjusting environmental regulations, such as federal diesel exhaust fluid requirements, could also be explored, Ward said. Diesel exhaust fluid, or DEF, is designed to reduce harmful emissions from diesel engines but presents additional costs for farmers.
"Environmental regulations hurt the farmer as bad as low prices," Christian said.
Ward said any changes to DEF regulations would need to originate at the federal level, though the state is prepared to advocate for Arkansas farmers as part of its broader strategy for agricultural support.