YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC

December 6, 2005

Labor shortage problematic for orchardists

By LIA STEAKLEY

WENATCHEE — Central Washington tree fruit growers are increasingly turning to technology to reduce labor costs and maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.

"Labor costs are going up and availability is going down. It's quite likely that the availability will continue to go down. This is where technology can help us," Bob Brammer, president of Crane & Crane Inc. in Brewster, Wash., told about 1,400 growers Monday during the Washington State Horticultural Association's 101st annual meeting at the Wenatchee Convention Center.

Growers are considering several strategies to alleviate labor-shortage pains, including diversifying crops to stretch harvests so they can employ workers longer as a way of limiting turnover, using high-tech devices and machines to decrease industry dependence on human labor and pushing politicians to create a guest-worker program to help meet industry demand for labor.

U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco, dropped by the convention to update
attendees on his, and other politicians, progress in resolving the agriculture industry's worker shortage.

"There is no consensus in our nation, in Congress, or probably in this room today, on the best way to fix our immigration system. But there is widespread agreement that our immigration system isn't working," said Hastings, who was one of more than 130 speakers at the event. "You clearly want a guest-worker program, but thousands of your fellow citizens and taxpayers don't share that view. It's important that the agriculture industry speak out on this issue."

Hastings encouraged tree fruit growers to spread the word that a guest-worker program is crucial to their labor-intensive industry and beneficial to the nation's economy.

"I am working with other members of Congress that share our concerns, but there aren't many of us and we aren't getting much help," said Hastings, who added that representatives from states where agriculture is heavily mechanized, such as wheat and soy bean production, are less supportive of a guest-worker program.

While politicians debate immigration reform, tree fruit growers are turning to new innovations in an attempt to decrease their industry's dependence on human labor.

Many technologies such as wireless networks, database applications, electronic weather systems and digital sensors are being deployed in fields to complete tasks done by workers who once recorded, transmitted and analyzed data.

In addition, new types of orchard designs are being created to ensure mechanical harvesters or autonomous tractors could easily navigate the rows. John Deere Co. representative Steve Faivre showed attendees a model of a driverless tractor, which could patrol fields around the clock gathering climate information or performing tasks such as spraying crops or mowing fields.

Frank Chopp, speaker of the state House of Representatives, said the Legislature is considering reserving a portion of money for agriculture research to help underwrite some innovations. Chopp pointed to a recent appropriation of $2 million to the hops industry to create a new style of mechanical hops as an example of the type of projects the state is supporting.

"We are looking at setting aside some money for (research and development). I need to know what the priorities are," he said during the event's leadership luncheon.

But while some looked at the futuristic innovations as a cure-all for the industry's labor shortage, some growers warned of hidden costs in deploying the technologies, that being complete orchard renovation.

"We are faced with a lot of orchards that won't be very adaptable to the coming technologies," said Brammer. "For growers that are facing complete renovation, that's when technology becomes disruptive instead of advantageous."

During a series of talks on orchards of the future, site selection and crop research, speakers warned growers about installing orchards for today's equipment and farming standards.

"Don't plant orchards based on the equipment that you have," said Lee Gale of Northwest Wholesale. "When you're making this type of capital investment, then the equipment is probably pretty cheap. Consider what you'll be using in the future."

After spending a day looking at how technology and innovation can keep Washington tree fruit growers ahead of their competition, the event continues today with topics on boosting apple consumption, pest management and trade barriers. The horticultural association's annual meeting continues through Wednesday.