Farm Labor Is in Crisis

If you are outside of agriculture, it might be easy to believe farmers are blowing the labor problem out of proportion and fear-mongering the public about the prospect of crops rotting in the field. It is understandable because some activist groups and urban media portray growers as only interested in securing cheap labor to harvest their crops — many of which are not authorized to be in the country.

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A farm labor study by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) shows about 50% to 70% of farm laborers in the country are unauthorized. That is a problem. And, compounding that problem is the fact U.S. workers will not do the hard work of harvesting and caring for crops.

And, the notion that growers want to hire illegal employees is a fallacy. They have no desire to get caught up in a immigration case or some lawsuit. You can see evidence of that here in Florida as growers flock to the H-2A visa program. Most citrus is now harvested by H-2A labor and strawberry and blueberry growers are moving in that direction, despite all the pitfalls of the program.

So, is the agricultural labor crisis real or overblown? I am open to arguments, but I am confronted all the time with stories from real growers with real problems. It happened while writing this month’s cover story on the Hill family. Michael Hill related a story to me about a blueberry grower with an H-2A problem. The grower had to give a date he would need workers to arrive, which with a crop like blueberries, is hard enough to predict to begin with. If he brings them in too early, he is paying workers to do nothing. Or, if he brings them too late, he has fruit wasting away in the field.

Through factors out of the growers’ control, his workers got held up at the consulate, so harvesters were delayed even further, while he had blueberries ripe and ready in a $7 per pound market. Michael was scrambling to help secure labor for the grower the day I interviewed him for the cover story.

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That was a real crisis for the grower in question. To have a great crop potentially rot in the field because workers can’t be sourced is probably worse than a weather event taking out production. But, he is not alone. The AFBF study notes that 72% of growers reported H-2A workers arrived an average of 22 days after the “date of need.” That kind of delay will never work for specialty crop growers, especially for easily bruised berry crops. Harvesting of strawberries, blackberries, and cherries account for about 60% to 66% of total production costs.

The labor crisis is why the Hill family used a mechanical harvester last season for the first time. They had good results, and Michael says their direction is geared toward mechanical harvest in the future, even when blueberry prices are strong. That’s also why a company affiliated with Wish Farms is developing a robot to harvest strawberries.

They see the writing on the wall. They realize we have three choices: 1) A market-based visa program that brings in an affordable, reliable labor source. 2) An alternative labor source like robotics. 3) Sourcing our fruits and vegetables from foreign sources where labor and food safety standards are far below America’s.

The political and media frenzy that has stirred the passions of Americans on both sides of the immigration debate won’t make the choice easy. But, let’s hope we make the right choice.

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Avatar for Williams Williams says:

I’m national sales manager by trade, now, I cant get a job because I have the experience but some 20 something sits in a HR department doesn’t think my experience isnt good enuff for her company. This happens to me everyday!! NOW I’m broke and had to get on Obamacare and that doesnt work for me neither!!

Avatar for RICH ESHLEMAN RICH ESHLEMAN says:

OUR GOVERMENT IS THE PROBLEM. THEY LISTEN AND DON’T ACT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS. PRESIDENT REAGAN SAID IT CORRECTLY THE GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM.

CONGRESS AND THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD GET FIRED IF THEY WERE IN PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT FOR THE WAY THEY DO NOT WORK.

RICH ESHLEMAN OHIO

Avatar for Theodore Walker Theodore Walker says:

“US workers will not do the hard work of harvesting and carrying for crops.”

You must see something wrong with this.

Do not provide any subsidy or support for those not willing to do the above.

They will work.

Avatar for Southern Tier Farmer Southern Tier Farmer says:

Maybe if it wasn’t more financially profitable to collect welfare than work on a farm then maybe Americans would. Still I think there needs to be some sort of worker program (with teeth for violators) that would allow foreign help to come in TEMPORARILY to harvest and then leave and return to their home country. Also I am not keen on the farmer having to foot so much of a bill under H2A to get workers here. Looks like our agriculture groups like Farm Bureau still have work to do.

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