'Broken' immigration system leaves Californian farmers short of labour

[ffr]

In America’s most abundant agricultural region, where immigrant pickers have long sustained the economy, many farmers are less concerned with the illegal immigration decried by Donald Trump than with finding enough people to harvest their crops.
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Farmers have responded to the lack of labour by trying to retain current workers with incentives like bonuses and by mechanising their operations, according to a report by UC Davis agriculture professor emeritus Philip Martin.

Not finding enough people to pick crops before they rot is “one of those constant fears” for farmers, Mr Jacobsen said. But this year, be said, “there’s definitely some additional concern about having enough hands.” - Independent

Expect inflationary produce prices going forward, the result of our November 2016 election: tRump/KGOP ticket over Hillary and democrats.

California produces a sizable majority of many American fruits, vegetables, and nuts: 99 percent of artichokes, 99 percent of walnuts, 97 percent of kiwis, 97 percent of plums, 95 percent of celery, 95 percent of garlic, 89 percent of cauliflower, 71 percent of spinach, and 69 percent of carrots (and the list goes on and on). - Slate

[blueinredohio]

1. Boo hoo

[PoliticAverse]

2. So the farmers were employing people not legally allowed to work in the US? n/t