Orchardists large and small want state lawmakers to join them in demanding immigration reform
Washington Ag Today December 5, 2011 The agricultural labor situation was the subject of the state Senate Agriculture Committee’s first meeting of the special legislative session last week. The Employment Security Department reported there was a felt labor shortage this fall for some growers particularly for the apple harvest as indicated by a 25 percent increase in apple bin rates from October of 2010 to October 2011. Because of the labor shortage even state prisoners were used in the harvest. While lawmakers were told there is more the state can do to help address the labor problem representatives of orchards large and small said action is needed at the federal level. A representative of Gebbers and of the Center for Latino Farmers addressed the committee. “What we need from you as legislators as we deal with this problem, is to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us, go back to Washington D.C., stand in front of the legislators all eleven of them, the two senators and the nine members, stand next to us and demand that we reform the immigration system in this country to provide us the necessary workers. That is what we need from you. …I hope you will send a strong message to Washington D.C. But also Washington has always been a leader because of the ag industry and I think we need to take leadership in this issue of immigration reform as well.” And speaking of the fruit industry, the Washington State Horticultural Association’s 107th Annual Meeting, Post Harvest Conference and NW Hort Expo begins today at the Wenatchee Convention Center. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
