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"Handpicking berries is necessary for the farmers to turn a profit, because foreign competition keeps prices low. Both Dobbins and Thoeny own machines that can pick raspberries and blueberries, but they're too expensive and inefficient, Dobbins said.

Machine picking costs him about 85 cents a pound, where handpickers make about 35 cents a pound.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see its going to be a disaster," he said.

Berry-picking machines also pull green, unripened berries off the bush, making more work for farmers who have to spend more time sorting and wasting thousands of berries that won't ripen. The machines also damage fragile raspberries and create a much lower-quality product.

"The price of machine-picked fruit is almost not worth picking," Dobbins said."

I'm from a citrus farming family; my Grand-father was President of the local citrus (orange) packing house, which was associated with Sunkist growers.

From this, I do not feel sorry for the grower who depends on illegals, regardless of the situation. Mechanical pickers can be developed for ANY crop, where there is the need. Maybe this is the time. To cry about the world market is another WTO scam. We are paying $$ for fuel; therefore we, the consumer should be prepared to pay more for produce if illegals are hired. Give the grower one year without a crop and they will demand mechanical pickers! And, they will be the quality the consumer demands.

Exchange illegals for mechanical pickers if there is no domestic workers to hire!!

-End of story-