$6.23 per gallon — Kansas diesel set a record Monday, up nearly $2.70 from a year earlier as harvest activity peaks across farm country.
Miami County farmer Hayden Guetterman said the surge quickly erodes margins: filling a 200-gallon grain-cart tractor now costs more than $1,200, and one machine can burn about 100 gallons a day.
AAA said geopolitical tensions — including conflicts in the Middle East, Russia-Ukraine and Iran — are driving the increase, though oil has eased from above $100 a barrel and may slow further fuel gains.
Diesel staying above $6 is straining agriculture and trucking, and AAA warned the higher freight and farm costs could eventually filter through to consumers.