Rising Diesel Prices Strain Farmers and Threaten Food Costs as Seattle Gas Hits $5.73
Seattle Today Newsroom
September 23, 2026
Photo Credit: Engin Akyurt
According to GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan, a steep surge in national diesel prices is putting immense financial pressure on farmers during harvest season, raising concerns that higher fuel expenses will ripple across the food supply chain and drive up costs.
Speaking on Seattle’s Morning News, De Haan confirmed that escalating fuel expenses are severely impacting agricultural operations, noting that diesel prices in certain states have surged up to 90% compared to the previous year.
De Haan emphasized that this financial pressure extends beyond farms, affecting product processing, shipping, and delivery to retail markets. He warned that every grocery store aisle will feel the impact of these elevated diesel costs in different ways.
De Haan highlighted a contrasting example involving a former colleague who purchased 26,000 gallons of diesel back in July, a move he called “perfectly timed,” while noting that growers purchasing fuel at current rates face drastically inflated bills.
Though diesel and gasoline prices have both risen, De Haan explained that diesel is under extra stress due to strikes in Russian oil refineries, compounded by global oil market instability linked to the conflict in Iran.
While crude oil prices have edged down recently amid hopes of potential diplomatic talks between the U.S. and Iran surrounding the United Nations General Assembly meeting, following President Donald Trump’s suggestion of a possible meeting with Iran’s president, it remains unclear if this will offer lasting relief.
De Haan noted that while markets have dipped slightly and diesel prices could slide down depending on the outcome of potential discussions, future trends remain uncertain.
Comparing the current conditions to the market shocks following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, De Haan pointed out that different fuels are being impacted by distinct events.
He linked much of the recent jump in gasoline costs to Middle East instability, specifically U.S. strikes on Iran and Iran’s subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Conversely, diesel’s sharper increase stems largely from Ukrainian strikes that disabled significant Russian refining capacity. De Haan also stated he is monitoring efforts to repair Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline following an attack that disrupted a key transport route used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
Addressing potential policy responses, De Haan advised against implementing a U.S. diesel export ban. He warned that while restricting exports might lower prices near Gulf Coast refineries, where surplus diesel moves to West Coast states like Washington, Oregon, and California via the Panama Canal under a Jones Act waiver, it would create fresh challenges elsewhere.
He explained that the West Coast lacks adequate local refining capacity to meet its own fuel needs, meaning the policy would not necessarily deliver nationwide relief.
At local gas pumps, Seattle has seen a milder week-over-week price bump compared to national trends, though total costs stay significantly higher. Seattle’s average gas price reached $5.73 per gallon, up one cent from the week prior and 94 cents higher than the previous year.
In contrast, the national average gas price hit $4.46 per gallon, rising roughly 18 cents in a single week and $1.30 over the year. De Haan remarked that while Washington’s slower rate of increase provided a minor silver lining, drivers in the state still face painful expenses at the pump.
