In Florida Groves, Cheap Labor Means Machines

In Florida citrus groves, where most of the crop is still harvested by hand, machines are still a rare sight. As technological improvements take hold, however, Florida growers are seeing less need for the Latin American migrants who currently do much of the work. Facing increasingly fierce foreign competition, US growers view cost saving machines like canopy shakers as the best way to stay competitive. Traditionally, American growers have taken advantage of a steady stream of cheap, migrant workers (both legal and illegal). Farmers shied away from machines because it was difficult to adapt them to crops which require delicate handling and such investments were costly. But what US farmers have taken for granted – a cheap workforce – is now expensive compared to the wages foreign growers pay. "The rest of the world hand-picks everything, but their wage rates are a fraction of ours," says a former Florida agricultural official. While growers look to cut costs, the migrant workers displaced by mechanization will be forced to look for other options. "If there's no demand for labor, supply will end," notes a farm manager. "They will have to find another place to work, or stay in their country." – YaleGlobal