High diesel prices squeezing local farmers in East TN and SWVA

High diesel prices are squeezing family farms across East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, threatening profit margins as the harvest season peaks. Farmers across the entire region are facing a tough harvest season as diesel fuel prices continue to drain their bottom lines. With tractors, combines, and delivery trucks running around the clock, local producers report that fueling up now costs nearly double what it did in previous years. Agriculture experts warn that these soaring overhead costs leave local farmers with two difficult choices: absorb the historic financial losses themselves, or pass the expenses down to consumers at the grocery store.