# Ag shippers face rising diesel costs, and farmers could share the bill | Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.

> Strait of Hormuz shipping has nearly stopped since the Iran conflict began, with only nine ships transiting on one day. The EIA put average US on-highway diesel at $5.07 per gallon, up 4.5% in a week. Grain elevators and shippers face rising rail, barge and vessel costs, and some may pass them to farmers.

- Date: 2026-03-18 · published 2026-03-18T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: geopolitics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/20357-ag-shippers-face-rising-diesel-costs-and-farmers-could-share-the-bill-agri
- Commodities: [Barge Freight (St. Louis)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/BARGE.md), [Crude Oil (WTI)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/WTI.md), [ULSD / Diesel](https://feedsoft.ai/c/DIESEL.md)

## Why it matters

Higher diesel and freight costs widen the cost of moving US grain and oilseeds to export, supporting freight-linked prices and pressuring farm-gate bids.

## Read by commodity

- WTI: bullish ▲
- BARGE: bullish ▲
- DIESEL: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| WTI | 2026-03-04 | [US diesel hits $4 per gallon as fuel costs rise amid escalating Middle East conflict \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5530-us-diesel-hits-4-per-gallon-as-fuel-costs-rise-amid-escalating-middle-east.md) | +12.2% | +37.4% |
| WTI | 2026-02-28 | [What the Iran attack means for oil, fertilizer and ag commodities - Pro Farmer](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20635-what-the-iran-attack-means-for-oil-fertilizer-and-ag-commodities-pro-farmer.md) | +35.6% | +50.4% |
| WTI | 2019-11-30 | [FreightWaves oil report: here are the oil and diesel numbers that OPEC faces this week - FreightWaves](https://feedsoft.ai/events/56252-freightwaves-oil-report-here-are-the-oil-and-diesel-numbers-that-opec-faces.md) | +3.6% | +8.1% |
| WTI | 2025-02-20 | [The Commodities Feed: EU agrees on another Russian sanctions package \| articles \| ING THINK](https://feedsoft.ai/events/26238-the-commodities-feed-eu-agrees-on-another-russian-sanctions-package-articles.md) | -5.1% | -7.1% |
| WTI | 2026-03-05 | [How the Iran war could create a ‘fertiliser shock’ – an often ignored global risk to food prices and farming](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6255-how-the-iran-war-could-create-a-fertiliser-shock-an-often-ignored-global-risk.md) | +16.5% | +35.8% |
| DIESEL | 2025-10-28 | [The Commodities Feed: Sanction concerns boost diesel prices \| ING THINK](https://feedsoft.ai/events/22596-the-commodities-feed-sanction-concerns-boost-diesel-prices-ing-think.md) | -1.4% | -1.1% |
| DIESEL | 2026-05-01 | [Thai and Vietnamese farmers may stop planting rice because of the Iran war. Here’s why](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10155-thai-and-vietnamese-farmers-may-stop-planting-rice-because-of-the-iran-war-here.md) | -7.3% | -15.5% |
| DIESEL | 2026-03-04 | [US diesel hits $4 per gallon as fuel costs rise amid escalating Middle East conflict \| Reuters](https://feedsoft.ai/events/5530-us-diesel-hits-4-per-gallon-as-fuel-costs-rise-amid-escalating-middle-east.md) | +6.1% | +30.8% |

## Sources

- agri-pulse.com: https://www.agri-pulse.com/articles/24379-ag-shippers-face-rising-diesel-costs-and-farmers-could-share-the-bill

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.