12/5/07 Potato Labor Issues

Potato Labor Issues. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. We've talked a lot about the labor issues in the northwest and across the nation with many different commodities. Most noted in our region tend to be fruit and vegetable issues but the potato grower is feeling the pinch in a big way. MIX: Speaking from the state of Colorado, we need it. It's a dependency to get our crops harvested. There's just not people willing to do that work and they are so we do need that workforce to come up and supply us what we need. It's important. Very important. Roger Mix is a potato farmer from Colorado and a member of the National Potato Council. Mix says their industry was much like many others where they managed to get through the harvest. MIX: It varied depending on the season. I think everybody got by but it seemed like we had a crew first and there was people quitting and going. It was definitely felt. We needed more workforce people, people were calling each other trying to find crews for each other. Mix says there were a lot of farming families that were scared about getting through the season. Like many other industries, the potato industry is casting an eye over automation but according to Mix, the human element is still very important. MIX: Technology is improving and I think the packing lines and the warehouses there is still automation and it's important and I think it is progressing. You're getting better lines and better equipment but you still need that individual person there to make sure things are doing right and doing the hand labor. Technology has come a long ways but it seems like you can have technology but were not like the car industry where a lot of the robots are doing it, we still need that hand labor. There are a number of crops that automation is well suited for but Mix reiterates that some crops really need people. MIX: Especially like I said in the specialty crops you need that hand labor just because of the way that specialty is, it's a perishable item. There's a lot of things that machines can do but you still don't want to bruise that commodity that some equipments can do so that's why that hand labor is important and we do need that workforce. Mix is hoping that some version of an AgJobs bill resurfaces. MIX: We do need that workforce as a sustainable workforce so hopefully that debate will keep going on and we could get the AgJobs put in on something in that line that will bring us a workforce and a sustainable workforce. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.