Labor Supply Issues Concern Apple Growers

Labor remains a top priority for apple growers as worker shortages in the agriculture industry continue.

Jim Bair is President and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association. Bair says, “It’s very difficult to find people who want to do these jobs, so most (apple) growers rely on the H2A visa program. We feel like it’s better to import the labor than import the fruit.”

Bair says it’s critical that lawmakers understand the importance of the H2A program. “It’s the only way we can continue as an industry, so we try to help policymakers understand our immigration issue of bringing in temporary ag labor,” states Bair.

The apple industry is working with others in agriculture including dairy, hogs, and specialty crops to urge the Senate to pass a comprehensive ag labor bill.

The U.S. Apple Association says the apple industry is heavily dependent on migrant labor, H2A and H2B workers, to grow, harvest, pack, and process apples and apple products.

EDITOR’S TAKE:

It would be nice to say that this is a new issue, but the reality is that it is not. Finding enough good, qualified labor has been a challenge in agriculture for decades. The difference – before it was a matter of locating some helpers from a local labor base. That became more difficult as other types of jobs, higher paying and with extensive benefits became available from larger corporations. Today, many farms are forced to look offshore for their labor supply, be it Mexico, Haiti, Central America or wherever workers can be found. The importance of immigration reform to provide an adequate pool of qualified workers cannot be overemphasized. Yet, agriculture’s needs are lumped together with the larger and more politically charged issue of immigration. Let’s hope it can be resolved soon. We agree – it’s better to import the labor than the fruit!