Undocumented immigrants flee GA fields

[Rita]

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"Georgia, which passed an Arizona-style immigration bill in April that is due to take effect next month, has seen thousands of undocumented immigrants flee the state. A state survey released last week found 11,080 vacant positions on state farms that needed to be filled to avoid losing crops. "

So will farm owners pay high enough wages to get Georgians to pick their crops? Obviously the parolees aren't interested. .... Will they let the crops rot in the fields? .... Will "disaster assistance" fit this situation? .... If crops don't get picked, will prices at the market spike?

Curious as to how this will turn out.
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http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/06/17/gas-farm-labor-crisis-playing-out-as-planned/
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/06/22/so-far-probationers-dont-cotton-to-farm-life/

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[scooterbug44]

I've worked as agricultural labor - it is one of the hardest and lowest paying jobs you can find.

This is going to really hurt farmers and food prices.

 

[Rita]

I've worked as agricultural labor - it is one of the hardest and lowest paying jobs you can find.

This is going to really hurt farmers and food prices.

I have a bil who used to be in the seed corn business and would need detasslers. He could get some college students and a few others to do that kind of work, but had to depend on migrant workers for the most part. He paid reasonable wages and treated them well. (I'm not sure any wage would be good enough though! And this was summer in IL - not GA)

 

[scooterbug44]

We made more than minimum wage and were on the books, it's just hard sweaty work in the heat of the summer. I did it because I was under 18 and it's hard to find work at that age.

 

[Em]

Prices of chicken will sore! Gainsville GA is where many Latin Americans run to in GA for jobs. Also, get ready to pay more for dining out in ATL because many of the restaurants employee illegals as cooks and dishwashers.

 

[ASH]

You meant "undocumented" versus "illegal", right. :roll:

 

[scooterbug44]

6 of 1, 1/2 dozen of another.

Same difference.

 

[30ashopper]

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"Georgia, which passed an Arizona-style immigration bill in April that is due to take effect next month, has seen thousands of undocumented immigrants flee the state. A state survey released last week found 11,080 vacant positions on state farms that needed to be filled to avoid losing crops. "

So will farm owners pay high enough wages to get Georgians to pick their crops? Obviously the parolees aren't interested. .... Will they let the crops rot in the fields? .... Will "disaster assistance" fit this situation? .... If crops don't get picked, will prices at the market spike?

Curious as to how this will turn out.
.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/06/17/gas-farm-labor-crisis-playing-out-as-planned/
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2011/06/22/so-far-probationers-dont-cotton-to-farm-life/

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They really don't have to hire lazy locals if they work through the visa program. For example most of the mexican workers you see around here who work in landscaping are on visas for the summer. The upside is that payroll taxes will be extracted from their paychecks.

 

[scooterbug44]

I believe that by the time workers apply and get visas the crops will have rotted in the fields.

 

[30ashopper]

I believe that by the time workers apply and get visas the crops will have rotted in the fields.

Well that's the price they pay for hiring illegals, isn't it.