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Washington agriculture in peril, WSDA interim report says
Summary
WSDA officials told the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee that Washington is losing farms and competitiveness: farm counts fell to 32,076 in 2022, farm-gate value is about $12.9 billion, and rising production and labor costs have eroded net farm income since 2021.
Director Derek Sandison told the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 12 that Washington agriculture faces a sharp decline in viability and that the Department of Agriculture and Washington State University are preparing an interim report now and a fuller analysis by June.
The department cited USDA census data showing 32,076 farms in Washington in 2022, down from roughly 35,700 in 2017, and a 2024 farm‑gate value of about $12.9 billion. "We're seeing a trend ... of losing farms in Washington," Sandison said, noting consolidation, increasing corporate ownership and a continued predominance of small, family‑owned operations.
WSDA econ…
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