Texas agriculture official: Prices for US farmers going 'through the roof' amid Biden admin 'comedy of errors'
Diesel, fertilizer and wheat prices are creating challenges for farmers,Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller says President Biden’s economic and soft-on-China policies exacerbates farmers’ usual challenges.
After some farmers in North Dakota raised concerns about a crop shortage, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller explained how the Biden administration further complicates industry challenges to create "a whole comedy of errors."
"Basically, what we have is not only just a supply chain shortage, but we have a shortage of leadership. We have a shortage of action," Miller told FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria" Wednesday. "We need this administration to close our border, to open the pipelines, to issue drilling permits, etc. That is where the problem is."
Miller made the comments as the national average price for a gallon of diesel was around $5.53 on Wednesday, up 24 cents from the month before and about $2.35 higher than a year ago, according to AAA.
When Bartiromo noted "filling a tractor daily now costs farmers $1,000 – twice what it was a year ago," Miller responded, "it's through the roof, but it's not just diesel."
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"It's fertilizer prices. It's parts. We can't get new tractors, new combines. We can't get new tillage equipment," he stressed. "So we have to keep running our older equipment, which we can't get parts for. And so it's just a whole comedy of errors, and it just multiplies on top of itself."
"Here in the South, we've had a drought. We've got record wheat prices," the commissioner continued. "But if you don't have any wheat to sell, it doesn't really matter what the price is."
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller explains how Biden admin. policies further complicate the industry on "Mornings with Maria" Wednesday, June 1, 2022. (Getty Images)
In agriculture, where the "markets are the weather," Miller noted how the Biden administration policies are worsening the industry’s "usual culprits and challenges."
"Now this administration is complicating that with supply chain shortages, fuel prices through the roof, fertilizers through the roof, etc.," Miller said.
Farmers are also feeling the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes, according to the commissioner.
"We operate on borrowed money. We can't self-finance," Miller pointed out. "So now we're paying higher interest rates, and that all eats into the profits in the bottom line of our nation's farmers."
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Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller argues American farmers are facing supply chain, border security and federal permit problems.
The Texas official noted there’s "a lot of policy changes" needed by the Biden administration.
"We need to secure a border. We need help up the pipelines. We need to issue permits," Miller said. "Anything that can go wrong with this administration, they've managed to get it to go wrong."
FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.