Matt Bell, a 52-year-old North Carolina farmer who voted for Trump, tells CBS News that rising fuel, fertilizer, and equipment prices are threatening his farming operation's survival. With diesel fuel costs doubling since last year and now averaging $6.40 per gallon nationwide, Bell struggles to keep his farm running, particularly with daily fuel expenses for machinery reaching $600—twice what he paid previously. Additionally, Trump’s tariffs have further increased input costs, leaving farmers uncertain about future trade policies.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-18,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Matt Bell, a 52-year-old North Carolina farmer who voted for President Trump, is struggling with soaring prices for fuel, fertilizer, and equipment. With over 1,000 acres dedicated to soybeans, corn, wheat, and beef cattle, Bell has had to make significant adjustments to his farming operations. He has shifted some of his acreage, extended the lifespan of his equipment, and even started producing his own fertilizer. Despite these efforts, he is still facing severe financial strain, with his children opening a storefront for pumpkin patches and hayrides in fall as an additional income source. Bell expressed that the past year was the most stressful period in his 34-year farming career, stating there's nothing left to cut after years of cutting costs. The intensifying conflicts globally, such as those involving Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and fighting in Russia and Ukraine, are contributing to high fuel prices and limiting oil refining capacity, exacerbating the situation for farmers like Bell who rely heavily on petroleum products.
Written for “Farmers Survival Mode” on 2026-09-18,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Matt Bell, 52, has been farming for more than half his life in central North Carolina.
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Bell → farm → Carolina
He grows soybeans, corn and wheat and raises beef cattle on more than 1,000 acres.
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He → grow → acres
But Bell, who voted for President Trump, says soaring prices for fuel, fertilizer, and equipment are hurting his farm and leading some of his fellow farmers to consider calling it quits once this growing season ends.
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season → vote → it
"I've done this 34 years.
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I → do → this
I have never worried and stressed like I have the last year," Bell told CBS News in an interview on Wednesday at his farm in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
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I → worry → Mountain
Bell has been forced to make significant changes to his operation as a result of the high costs.
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Bell → force → costs
He's shifting some of his acreage, trying to stretch out the lifespan of his equipment and producing his own fertilizer.
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He → shift → fertilizer
His children have also opened up a storefront where visitors can pick pumpkins and take hayrides in the fall.
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visitors → open → fall
But Bell is still feeling the pinch.
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Bell → feel → pinch
"We've cut everything we can cut," he said.
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he → cut → everything
"The last several years in agriculture have been terrible, and we have, you know, just cut the fat anywhere we could.
uncertain
we → know → fat
But we're just getting to the point now there's nothing left to cut.
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we → get → point
You cannot run without fuel.
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You → run → fuel
You cannot run without fertilizer.
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You → run → fertilizer
You have to have that."
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You → have → that
Bell says his diesel fuel costs have about doubled since last year
The war with Iran has driven up fuel costs and created supply chain disruptions as the Strait of Hormuz remains under a naval blockade with a limited number of oil tankers allowed through the critical waterway.
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Strait → say → waterway
And the intensifying conflict between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia and attacks by other Iranian proxy forces on Saudi infrastructure are
global fuel supplies in the Red Sea and contributing to a .Fighting in Russia and Ukraine has also limited oil refining capacity, driving up prices further.
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conflict → intensify → prices
Diesel prices nationwide are averaging roughly $6.40 per gallon, according to AAA, nearly double the average price a year ago.
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prices → average → AAA
In North Carolina Thursday, diesel prices hit their highest recorded average of $6.19 per gallon.
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prices → hit → gallon
Prices have been so volatile that Bell said the price he's quoted from his distributor in the morning is only valid until the afternoon — when it rises again.
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it → say → afternoon
He can't avoid the expense — his farm equipment runs on diesel.
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equipment → avoid → diesel
Bell showed CBS News his combine, which he says now requires about $600 worth of diesel fuel per day.
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he → show → day
That's more than twice what he paid last year.
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he → pay → what
Bell said he blew through his yearly fuel budget of $35,000 in August.
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he → say → August
Now, he expects his total for the year to be closer to $50,000 to $60,000.
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total → expect → year
"Every piece of equipment on this farm runs on diesel," he said.
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he → run → diesel
Without it, his farm wouldn't be able to function.
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farm → function → it
Tariff impact: "Everything that we touch has gone up"
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we → touch → that
It's not just diesel prices that are hurting Bell's business.
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that → hurt → business
President Trump's wide-ranging tariffs have also driven up costs — and left him and other farmers in limbo as the president continues to threaten to impose more tariffs.
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president → range → tariffs
"Everything we're touching, the fertilizer, fuel, chemicals, seed, parts — you know, the whole nine yards, everything that we touch has gone up," Bell said, noting that many of the price hikes resulted from Mr. Trump's tariff policies.
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many → touch → policies
Farmers welcomed Mr. Trump's announcement in May that he had
for China to buy 25 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. annually through 2028.
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China → welcome → 2028
China has purchased significantly more U.S. soybeans in 2026 compared to 2025, but its on U.S. soybeans remains in place.
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its → purchase → place
China imposed the levy in response to Mr. Trump's fentanyl-related tariffs on China.
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China → impose → China
Bell said China's soybean tariffs have left the market in limbo: That is, China hasn't increased the prices it's paying for U.S. soybeans, even though everything farmers touch in producing soybeans "has gone up."
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farmers → say → soybeans
In a letter to Mr. Trump on Thursday ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next week, the American Soybean Association called on him to push for the elimination of the 10% tariff.
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Association → call → tariff
"I think we've been misled"
Bell initially supported Mr. Trump's policies and even thought short-term price increases resulting from the Iran conflict would be worth ensuring Iran never has a nuclear weapon, one of the president's stated goals of the war.
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Iran → think → war
But he now says the administration has made miscalculations in the war.
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administration → say → war
"We're just being strung along as a country and that's not good," Bell said.
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Bell → string → country
Bell criticized the administration's decision-making around the war, saying, "I think we've been misled."
He also says the administration's agriculture policy is not what he was promised.
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he → criticize → what
…and 17 more, not listed.
The Aporia
