Produce industry professionals, when asked what their biggest problem is, will often answer, “labor.”
Ian LeMay, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association (CFFA), which represents growers and shippers of fresh fruit, states, “Labor, of course, has been and will continue to be a primary issue for our members.”
The woes of 2020 have only aggravated the problem.
“It’s not only a competitive labor market,” says LeMay. “I’ve heard it from orchards and vineyards: it’s a straight shortage. Five crews were needed, and three were available. This is the first time in my six years [in this position] that I’ve seen this happen. There were even competitor-to-competitor calls. We see some cross-collaboration across peer companies.”
In part, the coronavirus was the culprit.
“Covid played an immense part,” LeMay confirms, but says, “the industry rose to the occasion, and went even above and beyond to provide access to testing and PPE [personal protective equipment].”
“Employers are investing heavily to keep their employees safe,” says Jason Resnick, vice president and general counsel for Western Growers Association.
“For example, in order to implement social distancing in the field, or on a harvest machine, or in a packing facility, you must physically separate workers from one another, which is not optimal from a productivity standpoint, but is necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.
“They’re doing the same on the buses that transport workers to and from the fields,” Resnick says, “requiring more bus drivers and bus trips, since there are fewer workers riding on the bus. Producers are also investing heavily in enhanced Covid-19 prevention training, PPE, and sanitation.”
These, however, were only part of the cost of the virus.
“Covid involved a cost-price squeeze,” says Philip L. Martin, a professor at the University of California at Davis, who is one of the nation’s leading experts in farm labor. Costs for growers increased, for example, in shifting from foodservice to retail.
“Costs went up, but prices did not necessarily rise.”
This is a feature from the the March/April issue of Produce Blueprints Magazine. Click here to read the full issue.
