Wanted: More Mexican Ag Workers

Every year since 1992, an estimated half million undocumented immigrants have crossed the border to enter the US. The US is now home to some 10-11 million undocumented residents. Around 2.5 million live in California. One in four–about 600,000, more than 80% of whom are Mexican–work in the state’s agricultural industry. And still, with undocumented laborers making up half of the state’s farm labor force, agriculture faces a growing labor shortage, according to growers.

One small example illustrates the size of the problem: In September, the shortage cost raisin growers in the Central Valley $300,000, as farmers extended the season by nearly a month because they had less than half the people they needed to pick and dry their grapes. In total, California farmers worked the harvest season with 100,000 fewer workers than they needed, according to the ag trade group Western Growers.

Tom Nassif, president ofthat trade group, is spearheading a public lobbying campaign that proclaimswhat for years was too taboo to say out loud: the agriculture industry relieson undocumented laborers. And Nassif—whose organization represents the growerswho supply half of the nation’s fresh produce—says the problem his members faceisn’t too many illegal immigrant workers, but too few.

Source:Monterey County (CA) Weekly, Dec. 1, 2005
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