High energy costs from Iran war heighten pressure on struggling Louisiana farmers: "It's a game of survival"

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July 11, 2026 / 5:03 PM EDT

/ CBS News

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COLUMBIA, Louisiana — In northeast Louisiana, agriculture pilot Reed Keahey flies with sticker shock. His plane needs kerosene-based Jet-A fuel, the price of which has soared during the Iran war. A gallon that cost $2.46 in February, just before the war broke out, peaked at $4.11 in May. Keahey buys 7,500 gallons at a time. He said that when fuel hit $4.11, he spent a little more than $30,000 on one round of fuel. As of this week, it cost $3.18, but was rising again. "It puts a squeeze, but I can't let my farmers feel that squeeze that it's putting on me," Keahey told CBS News.With these fuel prices, the agricultural community in Louisiana feels there is little margin for error. David and Theresa Guererro own a farming business. Their corn crops need a nitrogen fertilizer called urea, and nearly half of global urea exports originate in the Persian Gulf, which has experienced a major shipping crisis due to the intermittent closures of the Strait of Hormuz during the war. The critical passageway also handles about 20% of the world's oil.