Farmers in the UK and US are facing sharp rises in fuel costs after renewed fighting between the US and Iran pushed up crude oil prices, compounded by Russia's extended ban on diesel exports. Alex Harrison of the farmer-owned co-operative Fram Farmers described the increase as "astronomical", noting it comes at a time when growers typically buy fuel to prepare their land for winter, leaving many struggling to plan purchases and manage cashflow.

Red diesel, used for agricultural vehicles, has risen about 10% since Monday to roughly £1.10 a litre, while UK forecourt diesel reached 183.5p a litre on Thursday, up from 164.5p in mid-July. In the US, diesel hit $5.78 a gallon, its highest level in about four years and up 54% since the conflict began. The surge follows attacks on Saudi tankers in the strait of Hormuz and Brent crude nearing $97 a barrel, with heating oil used on UK farms also climbing to around £1 a litre from about 60p before the war.