Jun 19, 2012

Survey: Georgia growers want experienced workers

Most Georgia fruit and vegetable growers who hire seasonal workers require experience.

That’s one of the findings of a recent study on prevailing practices for hiring farm workers by the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL).

Surveying more than 1,500 employers and gathering valid responses from 226 farm operations employing 10,000-plus seasonal workers, the GDOL study also found that

• Provision of family housing is not a prevailing practice
• Wages are typically paid weekly
• Advance payment for transportation from place of recruitment is not a prevailing practice
• The use of farm labor contractors to secure workers is not a prevailing practice

Various agricultural organizations, including the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (GFVGA), cooperated in making growers aware of the survey and encouraged participation. GFGA’s interest was to establish an accurate baseline of employment practices for Georgia farm operations.

The news that producers in Georgia require laborers to have previous farm experience prior to employment was of particular interest to GFVGA and H2A employers, according to a news release from the growers association. Though the length of experience varied by commodity, more than 88 percent said they require experience in potential employees.