Farmers are facing planting season under growing financial pressure, as the Iran conflict drives up diesel and fertilizer prices.

Mike Strupp of the Washington County Dairy Promotion Committee works on a family farm in partnership with his brother and told WTKM that it is affecting their operation. He says diesel fuel, at the time of this writing, off-road is going for $4.93 a gallon. 

"Oh yes, definitely. Our bottom dollar, and right now with diesel fuel it's way out of hand. It's bad enough we are dealing with low commodity prices, especially with the grain farming end of things. Beef is way up there yet. Economics are tough right now in the industry. Hopefully this war gets over sooner than later. And fertilizer prices, if you didn't book your fertilizer early in the year you are paying quite a bit more."                                    

Rising fuel and fertilizer costs are driving up food prices and straining rural economies.

70 percent of farmers can’t afford the fertilizer they need, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.