Sugarcane Farmers Thank Governor Landry for Diesel Relief During Harvest

American Sugar Cane League

Louisiana sugarcane farmers are receiving much-needed relief from record-high diesel prices as the 2026 harvest gets underway following an executive order signed by Governor Jeff Landry declaring an emergency due to the shortage and high cost of diesel fuel.

The executive order, effective today, suspends the penalty for using nontaxable, dyed off-road diesel fuel in vehicles registered for “Farm Use” or “Forest Products” while those vehicles are engaged in agricultural and timber harvesting operations. The order remains in effect through Oct. 22.

“I understand the plight of our farmers, ranchers and loggers,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. “These are the people that place food on our table and roofs over our heads. Granting them relief gives all Americans relief.”

“We are grateful to Gov. Landry for recognizing the tremendous pressure these fuel prices are putting on Louisiana’s farmers and taking action to provide relief during harvest,” said American Sugar Cane League General Manager Jim Simon. “For Louisiana’s sugarcane farmers, this order could mean over $8 million in savings over the course of the 2026 harvest season. Every dollar matters when you are trying to get a crop out of the field and to the mill, and we appreciate the Governor stepping up at a critical time for our industry.”

Diesel fuel in Louisiana has reached an all-time high of approximately $6.03 per gallon, according to information from the governor’s office. The executive order states that the current retail price is 113% higher than the diesel price LSU AgCenter economists used when developing harvest budgets for farmers.

“Louisiana farmers and timber harvesters maintain on-farm and on-site storage of dyed diesel fuel for nontaxable off-road use,” Landry states in the executive order. “Allowing that fuel to be used in highway vehicles engaged in agricultural and timber harvesting operations will make fuel immediately available to those operations.”

The order also directs Louisiana Department of Revenue Secretary Jarrod J. Coniglio to request federal penalty relief from the Internal Revenue Service by the end of the week.