Labor shortage may leave Florida's oranges unpicked

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

[Jean S]

LAKELAND -- 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.

The citrus season usually ends in late June, but will extend to at least late July this year with juice processors hoping to get as many oranges as possible off trees.

"There's very little doubt we'll leave a significant amount of fruit on the tree," said Mike Carlton, the director of production and labor affairs at Florida Citrus Mutual. "Whether that's 3 million boxes or 6 million boxes, nobody can say."

There were about 9 million boxes of Valencia oranges still on trees this week, The Ledger reported Sunday.

Orange production in the state could become the lowest since 1992 if the worst projections come true. That year, growers harvested 139.8 million boxes.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to release its final citrus crop projection Wednesday. Its June 9 report forecast 153 million boxes of oranges.

Growers have reported difficulty finding enough workers. Industry officials say labor supply was tight from the beginning of the season in October, but grew worse by the middle of May when a large segment of the Hispanic labor force seemed to leave the state.

"The labor shortage is what held us up this year," said Dave Crumbly, the vice president of fruit control at Florida's Natural Growers in Lake Wales, the nation's third-largest citrus processor. "Because labor was marginal at best, it didn't take much to push it into a shortage."

Industry officials cited the talk of immigration crackdowns for their inability to find Hispanic workers, who make up much of Florida's farm work force.

Lake Wales citrus grower Marty McKenna, who manages about 4,000 grove acres, said word had spread through the Hispanic community to return home if they wanted U.S. jobs in the future.

The state's largest processor, Tropicana Products Inc. in Bradenton, plans to stay open through July 21, said Peter Brace, a spokesman for parent company PepsiCo Inc. in Chicago.

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Information from: The Ledger, http://www.theledger.com

[stuartcr]

They'll work for minimum bits.

[TChris]

Perhaps the farmers should raise the wages of the pickers until they hire enough, then pass the increase costs on to the consumer. A shortage of product will increase the price anyway, so the consumer will pay more regardless.

[Liberty Valance]

http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/mar98/harv0398.htm

[Wolfie]

That's not a labor shortage, its a wage shortage.

[LowOiL]

The inability to find workers stems from the fact that they are being illegally employed in just about every other business in the nation, not that any mythical crackdown is having an impact.

Bingo, Every day thousands more cross the border, but they understand a better deal than what is being paid there. The problem that was unforeseen to illegal hirers was the fact that with illegals being virtually treated as complete legals by so many employers, is that "illegal" has lost it's meaning and thus without penalties the illegals have pick of the litter like everyone else when searching for jobs. The best thing for those (employers) that hire illegals for dirt cheap, is for illegals to keep their "stigma" of being illegal and causing the illegals to have to hunt for those willing to hire them under the table.

Thus without the reasonable fear of deportation for aliens and penalities for employers that really sting (forcing out some competion employers not willing to risk penality), all the growers have now is the same generic work force to contend with. Here locally they hire illegals to work in the sock industry for $8-14 dollars an hour, compiled with cheap living costs here, the Florida growers don't have a prayer. So the Florida growers push for more and more illegals to flood the market.

You and I both know Americans lose with this senerio. Our local sock industry doesn't bother going through the normal hiring off the streets process anymore, the boss just goes out on the floor and tells one of the illegals to bring in someone tommorrow to work if he wants more illegals. I have seen it happen hundreds of times. Job oppertunities don't even get offered to Americans anymore.

[samantha]

The problem is that putting up sheet rock in the booming Construction Business pays more than picking Oranges. There are more and more illegals going into the Construction Jobs every day. They do not speak English and they are building Houses,Businesses,etc. that have to withstand Hurricanes. It is dangerous,but the Construction Business owners do not care. Citrus Growers in America have to adhere to American standards with Pesticides use, and many other standards that are not mandatory in Brazil or anywhere else they are grown. Florida has had a serious problem with Greening and Canker that has already cost some of the growers big bucks to counteract. Greening and Canker can only be cured by destroying the infected trees and sometimes that means an entire grove. Look to the Greedy Construction people and other Businesses that pay more than picking and love to hire illegals for 1/3 what it would cost for legal workers.

[managusta]

What's Jeb say about this?

I believe he is delighted with the news that his in-laws will remain gainfully employed until the end of the month.

[null and void]

28 MILLION illegal aliens and not enough to pick fruit. Just what jobs DO they have???

The learning/entry level jobs our high schoolers used to fill...

[kcvl]

But then they couldn't complain about 'labor shortage' with that picker.

[Wuli]

Let's see: (1)orange production has not massively increased, (2)Florida always had enough workers for the harvest before, (3)there has been no shortage of illegal or legal workers across our southern border in decades, Florida's population has only grown, not decreased, so, is there truly a shortage of labor in Florida or is this another convenient "news" article promoting the wonders (addiction) of cheap illegal labor, before Congress has another vote.

[sandbar]

Hey, I thought they WANTED AND WERE GRATEFUL FOR these jobs. So what this is telling me is that they are not happy with the 'jobs noone else wanted to do' and have moved into the 'jobs everyone else likes and gets paid well to do until you don't have to pay income taxes, so we can do it for 20% less, but still better than picking fruit. Oh yeah and we still get to clog the ER with free health care, give our anchor kids SS# to the neighbor to get some Food Stamps and wala, we are living the sweet life. It's not like anyone is going to do anything about it anyway'.

[RedWhiteBlue]

They must have moved to New Orleans for better wages rebuilding the place. It looks like little Mexico.

Right you are! I'm surprised it took until comment #44 until someone pointed out the real reason for a lack of illegals to do seasonal work in FL. They haven't left the US -- they've just relocated to where the pay is higher.

[JavaTheHutt]

We've got 11 illegal aliens.

I'm jealous, my wife and I only have 3. We keep them locked up in the basement. I'm not sure what I'll do with them yet, but I got 'em for a really good price.

[SAJ]

Experts? Doesn't take an expert to read the relevant USDA pages.

Import pct for 2004/2005 were 64.9%, for 2005/2006 will be about 12% less, est. 57.1%. Obviously, this year's figs aren't complete at this time.

[sinkspur]

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

In order to remain competitive, wages can't rise much. Otherwise, foreign imports become preferable for food brokers and grocers.

[MaineVoter2002]

Here's a couple of useful links to guestworker programs our President has yet to realise already exist.

http://www.intraxworktravel.com

http://www.ccusa.com

[Buffettfan]

Illegals arent taking these low paying jobs because after there are here for awhile they move into the higher paying construction trades which pay alot more. Again, Americans being displaced by foreign workers.

[ExSES]

The inability to find workers stems from the fact that they are being illegally employed in just about every other business in the nation, not that any mythical crackdown is having an impact.

CORRECT!!! If you could work in construction for $8-$12 would you pick oranges for $6-$8/hour?

The myth that illegals only will work in "jobs Americans won't do" is true (in part)...., illegals only work in "jobs which have had their wage rates reduced to the point that Americans won't do them"! As middle & lower tier job wage rates stagnate and decline, illegals will gladly perform them (so long as there is no real effort to enforce employer penalties for such employment)!

This pattern started long ago and is gradually climbing up the employment food chain!

[oceanview]

had it not been for migrant farm workers - someone would long ago have invented a machine that could harvest oranges. but why invest to develop that, when farm workers could be had so cheaply?

the availablility of this kind of ultra low wage worker, skews what should be the normal process of investment and automation from technology.

whether it be in agriculture, or even in field like software development and call centers - cheap labor=no investment in automation.

[oceanview]

good point. even if the labor rate tripled, it would mean very little to the end consumer.