Jun 13, 2011
Immigration crackdown would likely raise labor costs

Stricter immigration enforcement would likely reduce the demand for farm labor and increase the mechanization of California agriculture, according to a new study co-authored by a University of California at Davis economist. The study, released Monday, says crackdowns on undocumented farmworkers will simply raise the cost of farm labor. Growers will respond by substituting labor-saving machinery. Imports of produce from lower-cost locations may increase, too. Written by Philip Martin of UC Davis and Linda Calvin, an economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the study examines the state’s $20 billion-a-year fruit, vegetable and nut industry. "The California produce industry depends on a constant influx of new, foreign- born labor attracted by wages above those in their countries of origin, primarily Mexico," the authors write. "Enforcement of immigration laws or immigration reform could raise labor costs."The Modesto Bee

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