The Agricultural Economy

Without the efforts of farmworkers, it would not be possible to support the multi- billion dollar fruit and vegetable industry in this nation. Agricultural production depends on the influx of seasonal labor at critical periods in crop development.

Migrant and seasonal farmworkers provide this labor. Farmworkers may be needed to hand-pick apples or peaches, harvest asparagus or chilies, stake up tomatoes, dig potatoes or beets, or work in a packing plant. Hand labor is especially vital to the production of the blemish-free fruits and vegetables which American consumers demand.

The fruit, vegetable, and horticultural industries in particular rely on the labor of migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Over the last decade more than 85 percent of the fruits and vegetables produced in this country were hand harvested and/or cultivated. Although many people believe that fruit and vegetable production is declining in this country, in reality domestic production has steadily increased over the last decade.

In return for their labor, the majority of farmworkers earn annual wages of less than $7,500. Although wage rates for farmworkers have gone up over the last decade, when they are adjusted for inflation we find that farmworkers' real wages have decreased 5% in that time.

Many agricultural employers do not report the wages of farm laborers. As a result, if they become disabled or reach retirement age, farmworkers are often unable to prove their claims for Social Security benefits.

Migrant farmworkers usually have their permanent residence, or homebase, in the southern states, especially California, Texas, and Florida. From their homebase, these workers fan out across the U.S., moving northward as each new crop is ready for their labor.

 Farmworker Housing

Farmworkers need decent, affordable housing in order to make the journey to perform the seasonal work needed. Without their labor, growers cannot maintain current production levels, thus creating food shortages that ultimately affect consumers in the form of higher prices. The number of farmworkers in need of housing exceeds the number of available housing units. The only national data on hired farmworker housing show that in 1980, available units could only house about 30 percent of the migrant farmworkers in need of housing. Hired farmworkers, particularly migrants, also face barriers to obtaining housing in the local private housing markets. Small rural communities may not have enough rental units available, or they may be unavailable to migrant farmworkers because they cannot provide deposits, qualify in credit checks, or make long-term rental commitments.

Agricultural employers recognize that the lack of housing is a serious problem, but they face several disincentives to providing housing for migrant farmworkers. The need of the farmworker population to find temporary housing has traditionally been met by growers through the establishment of labor camps. But construction and maintenance of housing is expensive, especially if the housing will only be occupied during a short harvest season. Some employer-provided housing does exist, but ironically, attempts to enforce housing standards have created a trend toward agricultural employers' discontinuing the provision of housing. As a result, workers may share a small, grower-provided room with several other people. In the absence of housing, farmworkers may be forced to sleep in tents, cars, ditches, or open fields.

Private housing is not subject to federal regulation. The private housing that is available to migrant workers tends to be substandard and many times expensive. Although some hired farmworkers live in well-kept housing, much of the housing available for them is deficient, crowded, and unsanitary. In addition, they often lack safe drinking water, bathing or laundry facilities, and even adequate sanitation.

The migrant labor force is important to the agricultural sector, which in turn is an important part of the overall local economy. It is clear that steps should be taken to help migrant farmworkers find solutions to their housing needs. There has been some progress with regard to farmworker housing.

For instance, the state of Florida is among the more active states in providing assistance for the development of farmworker housing. Among its programs is the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program, which provides mortgages for the construction or substantial rehabilitation of rental housing which is affordable to very low-income tenants.

The state of California operates state housing centers for migrant farmworkers and their families, and provides effective model programs for farmworker housing enforcement and development.

Finally, in Texas, Proyecto Azteca is a non-profit organization affiliated with United Farm Workers. The project has started a program to improve farmworkers' living conditions in the unincorporated villages, or colonias, in the Rio Grande Valley.

A study in Virginia analyzed how economic conditions on Virginia's Eastern Shore would change if migrant farmworkers were no longer available to local agricultural producers. Among other findings, the study found that the number of wage and salaried employees would decrease, in turn reducing consumer spending and having a subsequent negative impact on the retail and wholesale sectors. Farmworkers' presence enhances local economies through tax revenues from retail sales and property taxes.

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