South Georgia Farmers Speak About Immigration Reform
By Sen. Barry Loudermilk
A couple of weeks ago, I joined a few other legislators and dignitaries on a trip to South
Georgia where we toured vegetable farms and packing plants. In the sun-baked fields and
the busy plants, we spoke to farm owners and farm managers about Georgia's new
immigration law. I think we all came back home with a clear understanding of how
agriculture and immigration are woven together at the hands-on level.
The media has made much fodder of the idea that farm workers hold resentment toward
the new law. Speaking with them directly, however, I believe this perceived resentment
has been exaggerated. Those who run large farms in Vidalia and Moultrie told me they
know they must stay within the law and hire legally documented workers. This is not new
for them and they are fine with that concept. They also told me they have no problem
with Georgia's new requirement that they use the E-Verify system to make sure their
employees are not in the country illegally. E-Verify is quick, easy and free. Their
problem, actually, is with recent changes made to the federal H-2A guest worker
program. They rely on H-2A workers but they become easily frustrated by the program's
deep federal bureaucracy.
I don't think it is a big surprise that federal government immigration programs are riddled
with bureaucracy.
Included in our contingent was Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black; Attorney General
Sam Olens; Sens. Jack Murphy, Jack Hill and Tommie Williams; Reps. Donna Sheldon,
Brett Harrell and Ed Lindsey; as well as representatives from the Governor's Office, the
Lieutenant Governor's Office and the offices of U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny
Isakson.
In Moultrie, we visited Southern Valley Produce, where we saw how the farms grow,
pack and ship eggplants. Owners and managers said they hire legal workers and don't mind using E-Verify. Southern Valley employees, both migrant and domestic, make
much more than minimum wage. As with all industries, the most skilled workers are the
most productive. In farming, production rate is directly tied to wages. At Southern
Valley, the most productive workers can pull in as much as $15 per hour.
Last year, however, changes to the federal H-2A program have created a situation where
skilled workers are sent home in favor of people who may never have worked on a farm
before.
Before last year's federal changes, farms were required to place ads for domestic
workers. If they still had an employment shortage, they could apply for and utilize
workers from other countries through the H-2A program. Now, however, when domestic
workers apply - even if the staff is full - owners and managers must send migrant
workers back to their home countries and use the domestic help instead. Unfortunately,
the domestic workers have a tendency to have a much lower production rate. Many
inexperienced workers cannot keep up and quit after a few days. This leaves farms with
employment shortages and unpicked crops.
At the onion field in Vidalia, we heard similar complaints about the guest worker
program and a similar sentiment: Georgia's immigration law would not be a burden if the
federal guest worker program was easier to navigate and the debilitating requirements
were removed.
Farmers at both locations asked if Georgia could modify the H-2A federal guest worker
program. One idea they offered was to mandate a cutoff date, where domestic workers
who applied after a certain date would not force the elimination of a migrant worker. In
that case, the labor force could remain constant. They also asked if Georgia leaders could
possibly form a Georgia guest-worker program. We will see where our research leads on
these possibilities.
Georgia's economy has always rested squarely on the backs of farmers. Many of my
constituents know that I chair the Senate Science and Technology Committee. I have
worked many hours to ensure that Georgia is the best location for technology-related
industries to locate. Nonetheless, Georgia simply would not be Georgia without
dedication to our friends in agriculture. We need a wide-base economy and, as long as I
serve in the General Assembly, I will work to ensure farming remains a big part of that
economy.
# # # #
Sen. Barry Loudermilk serves as Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee.
He represents the 52nd Senate District, which includes Floyd County and portions of
Bartow and Gordon counties.
|
