Diesel fuel has hit a record national high of $5.85 per gallon, breaking a record that had stood since 2022, according to AAA. The spike is hitting local farmers especially hard as they face mounting operational costs at a critical time. Jay farmer Ryan Jenkins says the jump is showing up directly in his bottom line. A single hauling trip to sell corn in Laurel, Mississippi, now costs him close to $900 in fuel alone—up from about $3.71 per gallon a year ago. The surge is largely driven by the.