WSTFA Lobbying Efforts
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with today’s Fruit Grower Report. Washington State Tree Fruit Association members and staff gathered in Olympia recently to try and help close the ag knowledge gap between lawmakers and growers.
WSTFA lobbyist, David Ducharme says they care about food security, but then enact harmful policies …
DUCHARME … “For example, five years ago they passed legislation to eliminate the exemption from overtime in agriculture, which exists throughout the country, with the exception of about four or five other states. And those states recognize the impact in terms of the ability of the farmer to be able to pay those wages and have provided some offsets or tax credits and such.”
But Washington, Ducharme says provides no such offsets …
DUCHARME … “And we have seen now a steady decline in the number of hours that farmworkers are getting because, you know, you can’t pay $40 at piece-rate for cherry harvest, right, for a very good picker. And you can’t afford, after 40 hours, to pay him $60 because the market prices aren’t there.”
But Ducharme says that message doesn’t seem to be getting through …
DUCHARME … “You’re trying to educate them about where we are economically, and the health of the industry. You know, one of our largest expenses in tree fruit is labor. Labor constitutes 108% of our gross receipts, so immediately your losing right out of the gate, before you talk about all of the rest of the inputs.”
Ducharme says there are several other matters they are currently working on to educate lawmakers.
