Ag worker decline for Salinas Valley companies

Salinas Valley may be robust with agriculture, but when it comes to the labor force, it’s lacking.

“Labor for us is a problem,” said Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor.

“We have less and less workers in our fields,” said Western Growers CEO tom Nassif.

Ag officials said the salad bowl’s labor force is short about 10-15 percent. As the current workforce is aging, ag companies are finding second generation immigrants are becoming highly educated and pursuing other fields.

“They’re saying ok, I don’t want to be a field worker,” said farmer and Western Growers chairmen Larry Cox. “I’m going to be a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant.”

Ag companies also said the diminish in workers can be attributed to better opportunities in Mexico, labor jobs are seasonal and difficult, and because of politics.

“We don’t have an immigration bill because of politics,” said Nassif. “We aren’t able to survive the increase cost because of politics.”

To make up for the need many companies are turning to technology.

“We’re looking for robotic solutions right now,” said Taylor. “They can pack a snack tray or a veg tray with cherry tomatoes and carrots and peppers and produce a high quality tray.”

Western Growers told KION one robot or machine can replace about 20 workers.

“Strawberries for instance, they used to have little carts where they used to have to take in and out of the field, now they have machines that go along with the people,” said Cox. “There’s lots of technology that make it so people can be more productive.”

Some growers believe using technology is not an option, but a must, because they’re already seeing the negative economic impacts from the shortage of farm workers.

“A lot of people are already having to take ground out of production,” said Nassif. “Some did it because of the drought, others did it because they just don’t have the labor to harvest their crops.”

Ag companies said they’ve also trying to improve wages, hours and working conditions to attract and keep workers.

ORIGINAL STORY: The Salinas Valley is seeing a decline in farm workers as industry leaders say second generation immigrants are pursuing other types of careers, among other reasons.

Now ag companies are looking into robotics and mechanics to replace migrant workers.

KION’s Maya Holmes will have more on how this phenomenon is impacting the Salinas Valley