Diesel prices in Canada hitting a record high this harvest

This story was first published on RealAgriculture.com on Sept. 14, 2026. 

The average price of diesel at the pump in Canada has hit an all-time record high, according to the head of petroleum analysis for the GasBuddy fuel-pricing platform.

The Canadian national average surpassed $2.50 per litre as of Sept. 13 — its highest level on record, says Patrick De Haan.

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U.S. diesel prices have also reached record highs over the last two weeks, exceeding US$5.85 per gallon and topping the previous record set in June 2022. That figure is about US$2 per gallon higher than a year ago.

The record-high prices are coinciding with harvest, when on-farm diesel usage is at its highest. As price-takers, farmers generally have no mechanism for passing on the higher cost to fuel harvesting equipment and trucks.

“Diesel is the fuel that moves the economy, and when diesel prices reach record levels, the impact extends far beyond the transportation sector,” says De Haan in a news release, noting higher diesel prices will raise the cost of groceries, household goods, deliveries and countless other everyday products.

Global energy prices have risen sharply over the last few months due to several compounding factors, including the major disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and ongoing attacks on energy infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine war.

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