In Washington, agriculture is integral to the local economy, yet labor shortages pose challenges. With potential mass deportations under policies proposed by President Donald Trump, Washington's agricultural sector questions its reliance on H-2A workers.
Washington hosts over 340,000 unauthorized immigrants, ranking ninth nationwide in 2022, according to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics. Many work in agriculture, a sector valued at over $12.8 billion annually, with 95% of the more than 35,900 farms being family-owned, as per the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
The National Center for Farmworker Health reports over 70% of agricultural workers nationally were born abroad, many undocumented. Losing this workforce would impact Washington farmers.
Jeff Luckstead, a Washington State University agricultural economics professor, highlights that labor shortages and rising costs strain farmers. "The real issue is there's this relatively small labor supply, and if mass deportation occurs, that's going to shrink the labor supply further. Simple supply and demand tells us that's going to drive the wage rate up." Luckstead said.
Historically, U.S. horticultural production relied on migrant labor due to its seasonal nature, says Karina Gallardo, a professor at Washington State University. Migration trends shifted post-2007, leading to a net-zero migration rate. "Many of these workers who originally filled essential agricultural roles are aging out of the physically intensive work, while others who settled in the U.S. seek year-round, higher-paying jobs in other industries," Gallardo stated.
The federal H-2A visa program aims to address labor shortages by allowing temporary foreign workers. However, this comes with additional costs. Daryl Harnden, a grower in Cashmere, notes, "If you're going to bring in 10 guys, that's going to cost you about $22,000."
The Adverse Effect Wage Rate (AEWR) has increased, adding financial challenges. In 2018, it was $14.12 per hour, rising to $19.82 per hour by 2024. Gallardo mentions smaller farms relying on local workers face greater hurdles. "The small farms that cannot afford the H-2A program may be the ones most affected," she said.
Luckstead argues that H-2A reliance isn't feasible. "The issue with H-2A visas is they're expensive for farmers. There is a large overhead cost. The consolidation of the apple industry is already occurring. We are seeing larger farms buy up land from smaller farms. A mass deportation with smaller farms unable to take advantage of H-2A is just going to accelerate that," Luckstead stated.
Luckstead concludes that mass deportation could harm farmers and lead to higher consumer prices. "What is this going to do to the price of apples? Any crop that utilizes these labors, ultimately the price is going to have to go up. If input prices go up, the price of apples is ultimately going to have to go up [and] eventually the farmers are not going to survive," Luckstead said.
Source: Cascade PBS
