For the week ending Aug. 29, the U.S. average price of diesel rose 20.6 cents to $5.515 per gallon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the price was $1.776 above the price at the same time last year and marked the first time since Aug. 1 the price has been above $5 per gallon.
This increase follows nine consecutive weeks of diesel price declines of at least 10 cents per week, the USDA said. From June 27 to Aug. 22, the U.S. average diesel price dropped by 87.4 cents a gallon.
In the Midwest, the key grain producing region, diesel prices posted the largest jump of 28.2 cents to $5.172 per gallon. The increase reflected regional supply concerns after an Aug. 24 fire at the BP refinery in Whiting, Ind., that resulted in an emergency shutdown of the facility, the USDA said.
