Missouri Issues Emergency Relief for Farmers During 2026 Harvest Season

6 days ago

4 min read

Executive Order 26-19 Temporarily Eases Diesel and Weight Restrictions for Agricultural Operations

Missouri farmers and livestock producers are getting temporary regulatory relief during the 2026 harvest season after Governor Mike Kehoe issued Executive Order 26-19, declaring a State of Emergency related to the economic pressures currently affecting Missouri agriculture.

The order, signed September 30, 2026, recognizes something farmers across the state already know firsthand: harvesting, transporting crops, moving livestock, and keeping agricultural operations running has become increasingly expensive.

According to the order, extraordinary conditions have increased major agricultural input costs, including fertilizer and diesel fuel, creating significant financial pressure for Missouri producers and livestock haulers. Agriculture is Missouri's largest industry, and fuel consumption increases significantly during seasonal harvesting operations.

For the Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance, this is an important development because temporary regulatory relief can make a meaningful difference for producers already operating on narrow margins.

Temporary Use of Dyed Diesel for Agricultural Operations

One of the most significant provisions of Executive Order 26-19 temporarily suspends Missouri's enforcement of certain restrictions on the use of red dyed diesel fuel in highway vehicles when those vehicles are being used exclusively for qualifying agricultural operations.

Missouri farmers commonly maintain dyed diesel on farms and agricultural sites for nontaxable off-road agricultural use. Under normal circumstances, Missouri law prohibits using that fuel in motor vehicles operated on public highways.

During the emergency period, however, Missouri highway-registered vehicles may temporarily use dyed diesel when their operation is strictly limited to agricultural purposes.

Examples specifically identified in the order include:

Harvesting operations
Transporting crops from fields to storage
Transporting agricultural commodities to market
Livestock transportation
Other qualifying agricultural transportation

The order also directs Missouri state agencies, departments, and law-enforcement officers not to assess the taxes or administrative, civil, or criminal penalties established under Section 142.932 against owners or operators who are operating within the scope of this temporary exemption.

This is not a blanket authorization to use dyed diesel in ordinary highway vehicles. The exemption is specifically tied to agricultural operations covered by the executive order.

Temporary 90,000-Pound Agricultural Weight Limit

Executive Order 26-19 also provides temporary relief for certain agricultural transportation vehicles.

A qualifying six-axle vehicle combination with an extreme axle distance of at least 43 feet may operate at a maximum gross vehicle weight of 90,000 pounds when transporting:

Livestock, grain, timber, or other seasonally harvested agricultural products from a field to storage, market, or stockpile, or from farm storage to market.

Qualifying vehicles operating under the order do not have to obtain a special permit or pay the associated permit fees for this temporary weight allowance.

There is an important limitation producers and drivers need to understand:

90,000 pounds is the absolute maximum.

Missouri's standard 10% harvest allowance cannot be added on top of the 90,000-pound limit. Other statutory weight tolerances cannot be stacked on top of it either.

Interstate Highways Are Excluded

The temporary weight allowance applies to Missouri state highways and local roads, but it does not apply to the Federal Interstate Highway System.

Drivers must also continue complying with individual axle safety requirements and all posted weight restrictions on bridges and other weight-restricted structures.

In other words, the emergency declaration provides flexibility, but it does not suspend roadway and bridge safety requirements.

The Relief Is Temporary

Executive Order 26-19 is scheduled to expire on October 30, 2026, unless Governor Kehoe extends some or all of its provisions.

Farmers, livestock haulers, agricultural businesses, and commercial drivers who intend to rely on the order should read the actual executive order and make sure their operations fall within its requirements.

Why This Matters to VYFA

At the Veterans & Young Farmers Alliance (VYFA), we believe policies affecting agriculture should be understandable and accessible to the people working in the industry.

For established producers, beginning farmers, veterans entering agriculture, and young farmers trying to build sustainable operations, increased fuel, fertilizer, equipment, land, transportation, and operating costs aren't abstract numbers. They directly affect whether an operation can remain profitable and, in some cases, whether a farmer can remain in agriculture at all.

Executive Order 26-19 is temporary relief rather than a long-term solution, but it also highlights a larger issue VYFA continues to advocate around:

America cannot expect farmers to feed the country while ignoring the economic realities of what it costs them to do it.

Temporary emergency measures can help producers get through a difficult harvest season. Long-term agricultural stability, however, requires continued attention to operating costs, access to capital, land access, farm modernization, training, transportation infrastructure, and policies that allow both existing and beginning farmers to remain viable.

VYFA will continue working to make agricultural information easier to understand and to advocate for practical solutions that support the people responsible for keeping American agriculture moving.