The California Farm Bureau Federation says across California, farmers and ranchers face chronic problems in finding and hiring qualified and willing people to work in agriculture.
In a news release, the informal survey of Farm Bureau members showed that more than half of responding farmers had experienced employee shortages during the past year.
That figure was higher among farmers who need to hire employees on a seasonal basis, 69% of those farmers reported experiencing shortages.
“Despite all the efforts California farmers and ranchers have made to find and hire people to work on their operations, they still can’t find enough willing and qualified employees,” CFBF President Paul Wenger said. “Farmers have offered higher wages, benefits and more year-round jobs. They have tried to mechanize operations where possible, and have even changed crops or left ground idle. But employee shortages persist.”
