Agriculture
Agriculture and farming is a cherished part of American identity and remains an important part of the American economy. In 2020, the agriculture, fishing, and forestry industries contributed more than $175 billion to U.S. GDP and supported more than 2.3 million workers. The health of America's farms and the agriculture industry, however, is tied directly to immigration. Farmers frequently worry about finding enough workers as few Americans seem willing to take on the most difficult and physical farm jobs—particularly those harvesting fresh fruits and vegetables. Yet the H-2A visa, the only agricultural visa currently available to American farms, is too expensive and cumbersome to work for many U.S. growers. We explore this issue—and the way it costs our economy—below.
Business advocates lobby Congress for more guest workers, high-tech visas
With the push for a broad immigration bill now dead in Congress, business advocates are ramping up their calls for Republicans who run both chambers to at least consider updating the nation’s guest-worker programs to help boost the economy. From overhauling the visa that allows in farmworkers to boosting the… Read More
Dairy farmers, in dire need of workers, feel helpless as immigration reform sours
When Mike McMahon’s Latino employees need to go to the bank, the pharmacy or the grocery store, he makes sure someone drives them to town, waits while they run errands, and then brings them safely back to his dairy farm. Even then, there is no guarantee law enforcement in their… Read More
Immigration Enforcement without Reform Hurts Farms
As the U.S. House of Representatives takes up immigration changes that could make farm labor harder to find, American Farm Bureau Federation is asking for reform first and urging citizens to learn the positive impact immigrants have in their state. On Thursday, AFBF tweeted a link to an interactive map by… Read More
NY Farm Bureau favors immigration reform
WASHINGTON – The “secure the border first” approach advocated by many congressional Republicans doesn’t work for the New York Farm Bureau. Farm Bureau President Dean Norton was in Washington Wednesday to reinforce his organization’s support for comprehensive immigration reform. Owners of New York dairies and other farms that rely on… Read More
Without Immigration Fix, Many Dairies Struggle To Find Employees
When Jon Slutsky’s dairy farm in Wellington, Colorado is fully staffed, it’s a moment to celebrate. A full roster of employees at Slutsky’s La Luna Dairy is rare these days. “We’re doing really well with our employee base,” Slutsky said. “A year ago, we couldn’t say that. We were short.” With… Read More
Without immigration fix, many dairies struggle to find employees
When Jon Slutsky’s dairy farm in Wellington, Colo. is fully staffed, it’s a moment to celebrate. A full roster of employees at Slutsky’s La Luna Dairy is rare these days. “We’re doing really well with our employee base,” Slutsky said. “A year ago, we couldn’t say… Read More
Yogurt boom, labor shortage puts New York dairy industry in middle of immigration debate
Thanks to a spike in yogurt consumption and production, the dairy industry in New York is booming. But with that comes an issue of its own: where to find workers. New York is now the third largest state for U.S. dairy production, trailing only dairy kings… Read More
Three Ads You Won’t See During the Super Bowl, But You Should Still Watch
This Sunday, some of the biggest brands in the country will interrupt the bathroom breaks of more than one hundred million viewers with clever television ads. We thought we’d save the money and your bladders by sharing three ads in advance that demonstrate the impact immigrants have on important U.S. Read More
Ag sector woes
So how was the dinner salad last night? Fresh, green lettuce? Maybe crunchy miniature carrots? Piquant cherry tomatoes? Our impertinent questions come to mind in the wake of a visit to the Chronicle editorial board last week by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The former Iowa governor reminded us that of the… Read More
Eat vegetables? Support immigration reform
The Republican Congress needs to act on immigration, and stop simply reacting to the president. It should act for the right reasons. Bedrock Republican reasons. This shouldn’t be about currying favor with Latino voters to smooth the way for the 2016 Republican presidential candidate. That’s important, but it’s not the… Read More
Immigrants and American Farms
In 2019, more than half of all hired farmworkers in the United States were immigrants, or roughly 450,000 workers. In many states known for their fresh produce, immigrant farm laborers make up large shares of miscellaneous agriculture workers—the occupation that includes those hand picking crops in the field.
Share of Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers in Crop Production, Undocumented, 2019
Farm Labor Shortages
In recent years, the number of new immigrants arriving in the country to work in agriculture has fallen by 75 percent. Rising wages indicate this has led to a major labor shortage on U.S. farms—making it difficult for many growers to stay in business or expand their operations. The workers left are also aging rapidly, meaning shortages will likely worsen as they retire.
Decline in Key States
The Aging of Foreign-Born Farm Workers
The Cost of Our Farm Labor Shortage
Because agriculture is intertwined with so many other industries in our economy—such as transportation, packing, and irrigation—a shortage of farm workers hurts the U.S. economy more broadly. We estimate U.S. growers would have produced $3.1 billion more in fresh fruits and vegetables per year by 2014 had farm labor not been an issue. The table in this section shows the costs to the U.S. economy for failing to meet this target.
Rising Imports
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables Americans eat that is imported. Although many factors play into this phenomenon, we estimate labor shortages alone explain 27 percent of the market share decline experienced by U.S. growers from 1998-2000 to 2010-2012. Had growers maintained their hold on the domestic market, an estimated 89,300 additional U.S. jobs would have been created by 2012.
Jobs Americans Won’t Do
U.S. fresh produce growers have long said that few, if any, American workers are willing to take on the most arduous farm jobs. We studied this issue in North Carolina, examining how many American workers actually applied for heavily advertised farming positions in 2011, a period when the country was still recovering from the recession. The table in this section shows the results.
The H-2A Visa
The H-2A visa program, the only visa currently available to bring in temporary agriculture workers, is too cumbersome and unworkable for many farms. Farmers desperate for workers frequently go through the application process only to receive their laborers late, resulting in crop loss.
Sources:
1 “Why Domestic Agriculture Needs New, Workable Farm Labor Alternatives Now,” National Council of Agricultural Employers, 2011. Available online.
2Ibid.
3Ibid.
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