The remainder are electric powered. And if fuel prices stay elevated - electric rates will likely increase as some peak output electricity is generated by burning fuel oil. These estimates do not include production and harvest costs for vegetables nor fuel uses for fruit and pecan production . Further, farmers use fuel for farm-related travel and transport of farm commodities to market. While these estimates include a cost for curing flue-cured tobacco, a cost for grain, and oilseed drying is not included due to variability in moisture removed.
Agriculture is both a capital and fuel intensive industry .
Fortunately, capital costs have been relatively low in recent years - as have fuel prices. But the current fuel price structure shows the vulnerability of the industry to higher input costs - especially when these costs cannot be passed through. No doubt, we'll see the state's farmers looking for ways to reduce the number of trips across the field this year. If 2000 is a dry year, as some have predicted, then we'll see still higher production costs - if irrigation water is available.