Diesel Prices Hit Record High, Squeezing U.S. Farmers Amid Harvest Season

U.S. farmers are facing their highest diesel prices ever recorded as they enter the critical stage of the 2026 fall harvest, according to AAA data from September 17.

The average national price of $6.3956 per gallon has surged by 73% compared to last year's average of $3.7075 per gallon and is up from $5.4454 just one month ago.

Farmers in North Dakota, where soybeans and corn are being harvested, say diesel costs have roughly doubled from last fall, making it increasingly difficult to maintain profitability.

The sharp increase in fuel prices has been driven by global energy disruptions, including Middle East conflict and attacks on energy infrastructure that have constrained normal oil movements through the Strait of Hormuz.