Chris Dillon is facing the busiest time of year for his farm with an unwelcome guest in the form of gas prices nearly doubling for the farm in the space of three weeks. PHOTO: GERRIT DOPPENBERGArable farmers in Eastern Southland are facing the next few months with doubled fuel costs — inviting the question of whether it is possible, or even worth it, to harvest and plant new crops. The arable farming sector was critical to the livestock sector and what the government had done so far had not helped a single farmer, Riversdale grain farmer Chris Dillon said. Refined oil prices in New Zealand have skyrocketed in the past month following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key logistical route for oil products. All hands and tractors, will be on deck.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 31, 2026 10:43 UTC