SHELBINA, Mo. — Three Missouri agricultural organizations are praising Gov. Mike Kehoe’s temporary diesel and transportation relief, while prices reported at MFA in Shelbina Thursday showed dyed diesel just 4 cents per gallon below clear diesel.
The Ranch reported clear diesel at $6.19 per gallon and dyed diesel at $6.15 on Oct. 1. At those prices, a 100-gallon purchase would cost $619 for clear fuel or $615 for dyed fuel. The difference on 1,000 gallons would be $40.
Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri Corn Growers Association and the Missouri Soybean Association welcomed Kehoe’s Sept. 30 executive order. Their statements emphasized access to dyed fuel for qualifying agricultural transportation and additional hauling capacity during harvest.
The order changes Missouri’s enforcement of fuel restrictions. It does not require retailers to lower diesel prices or establish a minimum discount for dyed fuel. The Shelbina figures show a difference between two products at one location, rather than a documented price decline caused by the governor’s action.
Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins said diesel expenses are adding to the financial pressure farmers face getting crops harvested and transported. He described the waiver as another option for managing costs and thanked Kehoe for responding to producers’ needs.
Missouri Corn CEO Bradley Schad also welcomed the action. In the association’s statement, Schad said higher fuel expenses were compounding an already difficult harvest year. The organization said it had worked with state officials on potential solutions and pointed to the ability to transport more grain per trip as another benefit.
The Missouri Soybean Association credited the governor with responding to growers facing pressure on their profit margins.
Association President Cody Brock, a Norborne farmer, said the organization had worked with Kehoe during the preceding week on relief. CEO Casey Wasser said the association also was communicating with federal officials about corresponding action and clearer guidance for producers.
The groups’ support covers more than the difference between clear and dyed diesel prices. The waiver gives qualifying operators access to dyed fuel already stored on farms, while the transportation provision permits certain agricultural truck combinations to carry heavier loads.
At the prices reported in Shelbina, however, the direct fuel savings would amount to about six-tenths of 1%. Both products remained above $6 per gallon. The comparison does not establish what other retailers are charging or what producers may pay under bulk delivery arrangements.
Executive Order 26-19 temporarily suspends state dyed diesel restrictions for qualifying agricultural operations. The governor’s announcement identifies farmers and haulers operating commercial vehicles licensed for farm use as beneficiaries. The relief expires Oct. 30 unless extended.
The order also permits eligible six-axle truck combinations with at least 43 feet between their extreme axles to operate at a maximum gross weight of 90,000 pounds without a special permit or associated fees.
Eligible loads include livestock, grain, timber and other seasonal agricultural products moving from fields to storage, markets or stockpiles, or from farm storage to market. The 90,000-pound maximum cannot be increased by adding other harvest allowances.
Missouri Corn and the Missouri Soybean Association described the change as an increase from the existing 88,000-pound harvest limit. Both organizations said additional capacity could improve transportation efficiency by allowing more commodities to move per trip.
Federal restrictions remain a separate issue. The organizations cautioned that Missouri’s action does not waive federal dyed diesel rules or authorize use on routes where federal law prohibits it. The heavier-load provision excludes interstate highways and retains posted bridge restrictions and axle safety requirements.