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.
Immigration Reform Pushed in Idaho
August 19, 2013 Kristin Rodine, Hispanic Business Many of the people Ivan Carrillo sells auto insurance to are in Idaho illegally. They work hard, pay taxes, buy insurance and live in fear of being forced out, he says. Carrillo relates to that anxiety: A native of Mexico, he came to… Read More
Farm Labor Needs Are Tied to Immigration Reform
August 8, 2013 American Farm Bureau Federation Farmers and ranchers are putting heat on their members of Congress to get immigration reform finished when they return to Washington from their summer break. Oregon blueberry grower Doug Krahmer explains why that’s such a big deal for him and other farmers… Read More
Immigration reform: Minnesota’s changing face of labor
August 7, 2013 David Beal, MinnPost When bipartisan federal legislation to overhaul the nation’s immigration system failed in 2007, Bob Fitch decided he’d seen enough. The solution, he believed, was to unite trade associations and provide cover for individual business owners who supported such legislation but hesitated to speak out… Read More
U.S. Ag Secretary: Immigration reform key for Fla. industry
Anthony Clark, The Gainesville Sun July 31, 2013 Comprehensive immigration reform is critical to secure the workforce needed by Florida’s multibillion-dollar agricultural industry and would benefit the broader economy, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview with The Gainesville Sun. Vilsack has been on a media blitz with reporters… Read More
USDA boss pushes for immigration reform
Matt Kelley, Nebraska Radio Network July 29, 2013 Nebraska has the fourth largest agricultural economy in the country, but U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says the ag industries in the state and nation will suffer if Congress fails to enact some sort of immigration reform. “If you know what I… Read More
Immigration Reform Critical to Local Agricultural Production
William Woody, The Watch July 25, 2013 Olathe Farmer Cautiously Watching, Hoping Lawmakers Can Work Together WESTERN SLOPE – As over 100 migrant workers pick and package sweet corn from fields west of Olathe, nearly 2,000 miles away, in Washington D.C., members of Congress continue to pick at each other… Read More
US: Labor shortage hastens push for immigration reform
Fresh Plaza July 29, 2013 Nearly a month after the US Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill, the debate in the House drags on. Meanwhile, local farmers are eager for a solution. They’re facing an ongoing labor shortage that many feel could be solved by immigration reform. Joe Pezzini walks… Read More
Paul Ryan: Immigrants ‘Bring Labor to Our Economy So Jobs Can Get Done’
Nancy Cook, The National Journal July 25, 2013 In the past month, Rep. Paul Ryan, normally so focused on fiscal matters, has shifted his attention to immigration. He isn’t pitching reform as a humanitarian or budget-cutting move, though other advocates say it would be both. Instead, the House Budget Committee… Read More
Labor Shortage Hastens Push for Immigration Reform
Krista Almanzan, Local NPR for Monterey Bay Area July 25, 2013 Nearly a month after the U.S. Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill, the debate in the House drags on. Meanwhile, local farmers are eager for a solution. They’re facing an ongoing labor shortage that many feel could be solved by… Read More
Why Peach Lovers Should Support Immigration Reform
Johnna Miller, American Farm Bureau Federation July 22, 2013 Fresh, juicy peaches. One of the most delicious things about summer. But South Carolina peach farmer Chalmers Carr explains that without the foreign workers he needs to pick, they’ll never make them to your grocery store. AFBF’s Johnna Miller has 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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