03/04/08 Agriculture's number one problem

Washington Ag March 4, 2008 What is U.S. agriculture's number one problem. Flinchbaugh: "Agriculture's number one problem is not the farm bill. It is not trade. It's immigration." That is Kansas State University economist Barry Flinchbaugh speaking to reporters last week at a Bayer Crop Science Agricultural Issues Forum in Nashville, Tennessee. Flinchbaugh: "Fifty-three percent of all hired labor in American agriculture is illegal. You ship them home in boxcars like Congressman Tancredo, the damn fool wants to do, the agricultural economy collapses. Did you stay in the hotel lastnite? Was your bed made this morning? It is time to get real on that issue." Washington State University is hosting a distance presentation on goat production opportunities on small farms Wednesday evening March 12th. Tom Platt, WSU Extension Educator in Davenport, says Dr. Sandra Solaiman of Tuskegee University will make a presentation by long distance telephone for one hour beginning at 6:45 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time March 12th. Background information and listening locations are available on the web at livestocktopics.wsu.edu I'm Bob Hoff.