'Crops go unharvested and animals go uncared for.' Concerns about farmworker shortage grow
It's nearly apple-picking time in Washington's Yakima Valley. Cherry season will be around for a few more weeks, and a bounty of other fruits and vegetables are maturing on branches and in fields.
"The orchards are big and beautiful," said Dan Fazio, executive director of the Washington Farm Labor Association. "The crop looks good."
Just one problem: A shortage of workers to bring in the harvest.
It has been an issue in Washington and other farm states for several years because fewer U.S. workers want to take agricultural jobs. The primary reason is that farm work is seasonal. For Washington's iconic crops - apples, cherries and pears - the work lasts less than six months. Construction jobs, on the other hand, generally last longer and pay more.
"If we had 12 months of work, we would have more Americans wanting this job," said Fazio, whose group provides housing and other services for agricultural and other seasonal workers.
Many farmers have had to rely on undocumented workers. Perhaps as much as 60-70 percent of the laborers working on farms and ranches across the country might not have the proper documentation, according to Charles Connor, president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives and a former deputy secretary of Agriculture.
But a crackdown on the border controls and an increase in deportations under both the Obama and Trump administrations have cut the labor pool further. Some farmers have responded by moving their operations to Mexico, where the workers are. But that's not an option for most. Others may opt to replace workers with machines.
"This is a need all farmers have, whether for tree fruit, berries or dairy," said Scott Dilly, a spokesman and lobbyist for the Washington State Dairy Federation. "They're all looking into mechanical harvesting, robotic milkers - any kind of labor-saving device. That's where they see things going as it gets harder to find labor."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/crops-go-unharvested-and-animals-go-uncared-for-concerns-about-farmworker-shortage-grow/ar-BBLizx1?li=BBnbcA1
