SACO, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- According to MaineGasPrices.com, the average price of gasoline in Maine is around $4.00/gallon, and while high fuel costs affect many sectors of the economy, some farmers are particularly feeling the pinch.  

Rick Grant owns Grant's Farm in Saco and delivers his products to Hannaford supermarkets, Native Maine Produce, and several other markets locally. 

He says rising fuel costs have forced him to cut back on deliveries, and he's making direct store deliveries every other day instead of every day.  He says high gas prices not only affect transportation costs, but also the cost of seeds, fertilizer and other operations, but there are some strategies to help cope with such high costs.  

"Our tractors steer themselves with GPS now so that they're doing precisely what we need to do in the field and no skips or overlaps, and we save a little fuel that way, a little bit of time.  You're just always looking for affordable efficiencies," Grant said.

MaineGasPrices.com states the average gasoline price in the state is 20 cents per gallon higher than it was this time a year ago, and 16 cents per gallon more than just last month.  

NEWS CENTER