Energy Inflation
I’m Bob Larson. Farm State Senators say energy inflation compounded by the war in Ukraine is crushing farm profits, and Nebraska Senator Deb Fisher adds the White House needs to reverse its energy policies, NOW …FISHER … “The cost of fertilizer is up 200 percent, gas prices are at an all-time high, and they have been rising for months.”
Arkansas Senator John Boozman (BOZE-man) on input inflation since last year …
BOOZMAN … “Natural gas, up 48 percent, diesel fuel, up 54 percent, and then fertilizer up 171 percent.”
North Dakota’s John Hoeven …
HOEVEN … “I’m talking to farmers and ranchers, and they’re worried that they aren’t going to be able to get anhydrous and other fertilizer and other inputs. So, yes, they are very concerned about that.”
South Dakota Senator John Thune …
THUNE … “It takes so much more to put a crop into the ground these days. You’ve got higher diesel fuel costs, higher fertilizer costs, you have higher equipment costs. But a big part of it is energy.”
Thune says it’s time for the White House to reverse policy and turn to more homegrown domestic energy like biofuels …
THUNE … “Biofuels, biodiesel, higher blends of ethanol like E15 are readily available to displace Russian oil.”
Thune complains the White House “doesn’t seem interested,” instead focusing on electric vehicles, but argues, “they need to get interested in a hurry.”