Growers say fruit's ready, but workers are scarce

Seattle Times ^ | 8-30-06 | Joe Mullin

[SJackson]

WAPATO, Yakima County — Heinz Humann was late this year. Later than he's ever been.

His workers finished thinning out apple and pear trees to prepare for the harvest in mid-August. But they should have been finished a month earlier. The past few months, it's been tough for Humann to find enough workers for what he can afford to pay. He's had plenty of work, he says. But it seems there's no one willing to do it.

Add to that the other issues that hurt his bottom line, such as taxes and environmental regulations, and "I can see the writing on the wall," he says.

"We're doomed."

Like Humann, apple growers all over Washington this summer are complaining that a heated immigration debate in the U.S. has combined with a late cherry harvest to create a shortage of agricultural workers, perhaps the worst they've seen.

Evidence in the fields of Eastern Washington is so far anecdotal. But some guess that migrant workers may be attracted away by higher-paying jobs. Others surmise that high gas prices have discouraged some workers from driving north after finishing harvests in California.

[SJackson]

For once I wish one of these "we can't pick the _____" articles would acknowledge that laborers, legal laborers, are and have been available through the H2B program, which to my knowledge has no numerical cap. Yes, you have to plan ahead, nothing new for farmers, and may well have to pay more than for illegals. Which is really the issue.

[weegee]

Or the farmers could go back to having 8 kids to have some free labor on hand to do the chores.

[Spktyr]

Hey, Heinz, if you really were smart, you'd invent a bot to harvest that fruit. Then you wouldn't need laborers.

[taxed2death]

".....it's been tough for Humann to find enough workers for what he can afford to pay."

_____________________________________

So modernize your operation or go out of business.

That's capitalism. Only the strong DESERVE to survive.

If you base your business on paying someone $3 an hour... you deserve to go under.

[weegee]

Yes, you have to plan ahead, nothing new for farmers, and may well have to pay more than for illegals. Which is really the issue.

"But some guess that migrant workers may be attracted away by higher-paying jobs."

BINGO

[r9etb]

Yes, you have to plan ahead, nothing new for farmers, and may well have to pay more than for illegals. Which is really the issue.

The real issue is that the growers' margins are so thin that they really can't afford to pay more. They'll go out of business instead. Big corporate farms might pick up some of the slack, but mostly it'll just result in more imports from places like Chile.

[rhombus]

Sounds like we'll be eating a lot of "foreign" apples in the future.

[SJackson]

Hey, Heinz, if you really were smart, you'd invent a bot to harvest that fruit. Then you wouldn't need laborers.

Don't have to invent one, just buy one. I understand machinery is available for cherries, apples, etc, though with some limitations. There are a couple freepers who use them, maybe one will show up. Or as I noted, contact a recruiter and pay for H2/H2As

[KarlInOhio]

But some guess that migrant workers may be attracted away by higher-paying jobs.

Maybe we need a Fugitive Mexican Act which would punish anyone who finds a Mexican and fails to return him to his farmer. Sure it would put a crimp in construction work, but that's a small price to pay to make sure that the Mexicans are returned to the farmers who own er, uh - who fairly employ them. < /sarcasm which goes to 11>

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Meanwhile, we have people all over the place sitting on their fat arses waiting for a check to come.
We don't have a labor shortage.

[lovecraft]

It's simple economics, to gain workers, he needs to pay more. He in turn passes the increased cost onto his produce and apples cost more at the super market. If the market won't pay the price then SOMEONE will figure out how to cut costs. He has to be smart and not break the law by hiring illegals.

As an aside, who wants to make $10 plus dollars an hour sweating in a field when you can make the same thing in an air-conditioned building? If you want people to do back breaking hard work, you'd better pay them to do it. There's just too many options available for today's wage slaves.

[kjam22]

Tough to be a successful entrepreneur when you have to pay more than $2 per hour for your help I guess.....

[SJackson]

The real issue is that the growers' margins are so thin that they really can't afford to pay more. They'll go out of business instead. Big corporate farms might pick up some of the slack, but mostly it'll just result in more imports from places like Chile.

If true, and the large growers can't meet demand, I'd prefer to import apples than import an abusive labor system.

[Dead Dog]

How many millions are in prison?

[kjam22]

I'd prefer to import apples than import an abusive labor system.

Me too.... because with the cheap labor comes government subsidies to keep these people afloat.

[Reeses]

Heinz Humann needs to meet Heinz Robott.

[dubie]

guess we can now get some people off the dole now...

[r9etb]

I'd prefer to import apples than import an abusive labor system.

So the illegals make the long, difficult, voluntary trip to Washington just so the growers can abuse them?

Right. Look, SJ -- there's plenty wrong with illegal immigration. But the work is not "abusive." It's a voluntarily employment agreement, and to the illegals it's pretty good income. It's about as free-market a system as you're likely to see these days.

FYI, after apples and pears are done, many of the illegals take their pay back down to Mexico and then come back again the next year.

[garyhope]

What about all those "disadvantaged" and unemployed "youts" in the so called inner cities that are just dying for a good job? If they line up for Wal-Mart jobs, they can line up to pick fruit and vegetables.

Maybe they can do the jobs that the Mexicans are stealing.

[Moonman62]

If true, and the large growers can't meet demand, I'd prefer to import apples than import an abusive labor system.

Well said.