Farmers Need More (Undocumented) Workers

According to the Tri-City Herald, a possible labor shortage is worrying local farmers.

YAKIMA, April 26 2006 — Farmers are looking at potential bumper crops this season, but at the same time they fear the national debate over immigration could scare away many of the workers they need for harvest.

About 30 Mid-Columbia farmers met with top state officials Tuesday morning in Yakima to discuss an expected repeat of last year’s labor shortage that caused some fruit to rot. And they said this year there will be even more fruit to pick.

“When the harvest comes, if you don’t pick when the cherries are ripe, they are gone,” said Lisa Avery of Pasco-based Kamiak Vineyards.

So we need more workers but they cannot get here.

Last year, Washington farmers employed about 26,000 workers at the peak of cherry season in June and about 40,000 workers at the peak of apple season in October, said Kirk Mayer, manager of Wenatchee-based Washington Growers Clearing House.

Of course maybe if the farmers paid more others would want to do the work, but if they paid more then they would have to charge more, and if they charged more we would buy the fruit that is shipped in from Argentina or wherever because it is cheaper. As Napoleon Dynamite would say, “Dang!”

What really caught my attention is the last paragraph:

As for the national debate on immigration, she said, “You need to call your congressmen and your senators. They need the pressure put on them.”

What are we supposed to request? Please admit more illegal immigrants so our cherries and apples get picked? Of course, the easy thing to do would be to not make it illegal?