Labor shortage may leave Florida's oranges unpicked

Daytona Beach News-Journal ^ | 7-10-06 | AP

[TheDon]

If true, it would seem growing oranges is too expensive to do in the US!

[Ben Ficklin]

Pickers don't get paid by the hour.

[hgro]

Roll up your pant legs, the B.S. is just beginning.

[doc30]

Here's the thing: If the employer will pay a decent wage, workers will show up. It's supply and demand.

That's the exact pressure that will raise wages. If a job that needs doing isn't getting done, then wage increases are inevitable *if* it will get workers on board. FL isn't a cheap state to live in anymore so there are a lot of jobs going unfilled. And it isn't just in agriculture. A lot of companies in FL are having trouble finding workers, both skilled and unskilled.

[mutley]

Agreed. They can find better paying jobs now. I would guess mostly in construction or other types of labor jobs, which are probably easier than picking oranges. Iknow, I picked oranges one summer while in high school.

We need to find a different migrant labor force, to do the jobs the Mexicans won't do.

[RKV]

Any illegal with half a brain wants 1) more money and 2) better working conditions. The guys who work the fields are the ones just arrived, once they've been around a bit, they find work in town. We don't need them. Never did. Send 'em home and hire high school kids like we used to. I spent 5 summers when I was in high school and college working in the fields (picked, hoed, drove tractor and truck) so I know what I'm talking about. The farmers will pay a bit more - so what. Also, they will have to start obeying US labor laws since their workers will turn them in if they treat American kids like peons.

[dawn53]

Yesterday we had a thread about strawberry harvests going unpicked

Ever picked strawberries???

I could see where people might show up to pick oranges for a higher wage, but strawberries...that's a different story, LOL.

[Red Badger]

Why pick oranges when you can hang sheetrock?............

[Ben Ficklin]

"growing oranges is to expensive in the US."

The situation with apples and China is the same.

[VOA]

As many as 6 million boxes of oranges may go unharvested in Florida
this year because of a shortage of fruit pickers made worse by fears about
what changes may come in immigration law.

Nah, it's just the free market at work.
There's a bunch of crews of (almost certainly) illegals doing the
re-roofing in Columbia, MO.
(there was a large and intense hail storm in March and damage is still
being repaired)

[Seeking the truth]

Hell....30% of the Florida state pen is occupied by illegal immigrants.

Use them to pick the oranges !

Your idea is a great one...of course, all the usual leftist suspects would sue saying its against some law or statute or whatever.

[A CA Guy]

Being employers have allowed illegals into the construction and restaurant industry, why should the illegals want to now go pick fruit? They have it easy elsewhere IMO.

[Ben Ficklin]

I don't know either except that it is sizable.

[Red Badger]

The pickers have gotten "picky"........

[txhurl]

EXCELLENT idea.

[durasell]

Blame it on the juice!

[joe fonebone]

If I was a businessman, and decided to leave my product in the warehouse, instead of shipping it for sale, i would be out of business, and someone else would probably buy my business and/or take over my customer base at a minimum. Seems to me these particular businessmen are heading down the same road. Now, if only we could end those peskie government subsidiaries.....