‘Something needs to change’: Farmers, agriculture industry threatened by WA’s rising fuel costs

Gas prices in Washington have surged past $5 a gallon, climbing roughly 25 cents in the past week and adding new financial strain for both drivers and the state’s struggling agriculture industry.

The statewide average now sits at $5.21 per gallon, far above the national average of $3.92. Prices are even higher in the Puget Sound region, with King County averaging $5.46 per gallon, followed by Snohomish County at $5.26 and Pierce County at $5.29.

While higher fuel costs are squeezing commuters, the impact is expected to be especially severe for farmers. Rising diesel and gasoline prices increase the cost of operating tractors, transporting crops, and maintaining day-to-day farm operations, particularly as Washington enters the spring planting season.

The state’s agriculture sector is already facing significant economic challenges. Farmers in Washington lost an estimated $400 million last year, driven by a combination of taxes, tariffs, and labor shortages. Dairy farms and apple orchards have been among the hardest hit, with many growers still struggling to recover from earlier losses tied to trade disruptions and workforce constraints.

“Dairy farms are struggling right now. We’re hearing about apples here in Washington and other tree fruit… stories about farmers making these hard decisions to say, ‘We’re going to just go ahead and shut it down,'” said Dillon Honcoop with Save Family Farms. “And I’m hearing stories about bulldozers, bulldozing orchards, taking the trees out, and people worried then about what happens to that farm. Development is often quick to come in… that’s often the only high-value option that some people have.”

WA’s rising gas prices push already-struggling farms closer to closure

Industry observers warn that continued increases in fuel prices could push more farms to the brink, as expenses continue to mount across multiple areas. There are increasing signs that some operations are shutting down, with farmland in certain areas being converted to development as profitability declines.

In Seattle, KIRO Newsradio also asked drivers at the pump about the higher prices.

“That’s why I got a little car to save gas money, you know, because I got a big truck as well. And now if I were driving my big truck, I can’t even drive it,” explained Jose, who pumped only two gallons of low-octane gas before he drove north of the city, where gas is cheaper. “Ten dollars is what I got right now, so I’m going to Lynnwood, and I’m going to put gas in Lynnwood because it’s cheaper up there.”

Another driver, Craig, told KIRO Newsradio he recently bought a hybrid vehicle to save on fuel costs.

“It sucks, so if you can move over to electric, I would say do that, but obviously not everyone can do that,” Craig said.

However, for drivers like Jose and Craig, fuel costs do not factor directly into their jobs or incomes. In December, a LendingTree survey of 2,000 consumers found that nearly three in four Americans worry the economy might impact their summer getaways. And more than one in two are cutting back on the number of trips they plan to take as a result.

For farmers and workers in the state’s agriculture industry, Honcoop explained they don’t share the same choice of canceling production.

“A lot of us don’t think about how it’s going to cost more to grow the food that we eat. That’s kind of important, and farmers are definitely feeling that right now,” Honcoop said. “The cuts keep on coming. The cost keeps stacking up, and they have to decide how much longer can we keep doing this and will this be the one that finally ends our family’s legacy after potentially many generations.”

Washington now ranks last in the nation for farm profitability after being closer to the middle in recent years, reflecting the cumulative impact of rising costs over the past decade. Early projections indicate 2025 losses could be similar to those seen in 2024 if current conditions persist.

The spike in gas prices, combined with ongoing economic pressures, is raising concerns about the long-term viability of farming in Washington and the future of local food production.

“We used to be middle of the pack here in Washington just a few years ago, but with all of the costs that have cropped up in the last 5 to 10 years in Washington State, we’re now 50th in the nation for farm profitability,” Honcoop said as he also pointed out farmers in Washington State in 2024 lost nearly $400 million. “We just can’t keep up that way… something needs to change. This isn’t just a cyclical issue that farming always goes through. This is a structural issue, and it needs to be addressed, and we need to take a good, long, hard look at — do we want to be growing food here in Washington, and do we care about where our food comes from?”

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