Labor shortage, crop loss concerns reach Washington

Concerns from Georgia farmers and growers about labor shortages and crop losses have reached the nation's capital.

"If we don't fix this, there will be no agriculture in Georgia," said Connie Horner, a blueberry farmer from Homerville in south Georgia.

She spoke at a congressional hearing Tuesday and said that while she and other farmers have tried to hire legally through a federal guest worker program, the red tape and costs associated make it impractical.  Now, there's another concern.

"The threat of E-Verify caused a lot of migrant workers to skip over the state of Georgia," Horner said.

E-Verify, a database that checks the legal status of workers, is one of the provisions of Georgia's new immigration law, HB 87.

While not denouncing the law by name, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black spoke to congressional leaders about the need to reform the guest worker program.

"That's what this whole issue has been about,  developing a viable guest worker program for Georgia -- not [just] for Georgia -- but for American agriculture,"  he said. 

The hearing happened on the same day the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association released the initial findings of a study commissioned by the organization, and conducted by the University of Georgia's Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development.

The report said Georgia's economy is projected to shrink by $391 million and more than 3,200 jobs this year because of losses in agriculture.

Among the crops in the study, the worst-off were blueberries, with a $29 million loss and Vidalia onions, with a $16 million loss.

Agricultural groups said the losses could grow, and farm sizes will likely shrink as a result.

But not everyone is sympathetic.

"Their complaint only arises because they are using illegal labor," said Gwinnett County resident Bob Griggs, an E-Verify proponent.

He said when illegal immigrants leave the state, taxpayers save money that would go to services used by those immigrants like schools, hospitals and jails.

"It's a growing pain," said Griggs of the agricultural study.  "It's the cost of doing business illegally and now being required to follow the law."

Both sides do agree on one thing: the need for Washington to reform the guest worker program.