Trump says deportation is coming and soon. Millions will be rounded up, ensconced in camps and then sent back to where they came from.
What alternatives do NM agricultural producers have if they cannot rely on undocumented workers? Experts answer
BY WRITER NAME JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
There’s no doubt undocumented immigrants play a role in New Mexico’s workforce. They make up about 53,200 of the state’s workforce, or nearly 4%, according to figures provided by the American Immigration Council, a national advocacy group. They contribute $312 million in local, state and federal taxes, with about $1.1 billion in spending power. Undocumented workers nationwide also make up close to half of the crop farmworkers in the U.S., according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While figures don’t exist for New Mexico, they play a significant role in picking crops like chile, onions and pecans. But if President-elect Donald Trump goes through with plans for mass deportations of undocumented workers, that could heavily affect New Mexico’s agricultural producers. That raises the question: What alternatives do agricultural producers in New Mexico have if they cannot rely on undocumented workers?
The Journal asked that question to a couple of experts in the state. Here are their responses:
Carlos Carpio-Ochoa, professor and head of New Mexico State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business “In economics, we distinguish between shortterm and longterm adjustments. In the short term, farmers could offer higher wages to attract documented workers from other sectors of the economy, such as construction or hospitality. However, wage increases are limited by the prices farmers receive for their products and other production costs. Another option is mechanization, if available. Finally, farmers may rely on current legal programs to bring in foreign workers. They will need to weigh the costs and benefits of each option carefully, but in most cases, all options are likely to result in higher production costs in the short term. The government could reduce some costs, for example, by reducing the burden of foreign worker programs or financing labor-replacing machinery. In the long term, where there is more room for adaptation, there could be a shift in farmed products, with a move toward less labor-intensive agricultural goods or a greater reliance on machinery. The U.S. agricultural sector has always been at the forefront of discovery and innovation. It can take time and effort, but the sector could adapt long term.”
Kelly O’Donnell, local economist and Homewise’s chief research and policy officer
“In the short term, New Mexico’s agricultural producers have no economically viable alternatives to immigrant labor. The federal government’s visa programs are already insufficient to fill the labor gap. Raising wages and improving working conditions could increase the number of U.S. citizens willing to do this difficult work, but those costs would be passed on to consumers and food would be much more expensive. In the longer term, technology could start to fill some of the gap, but this partial solution would take years to implement and would not forestall the food shortage and price spikes that would result from the loss of immigrant labor
- Can he do it?
- What will it cost?
- Is it legal?
- How will it affect the US economy?
- How will it affect the many local communities where all those millions now live?
- Will there be push back?
What alternatives do NM agricultural producers have if they cannot rely on undocumented workers? Experts answer
BY WRITER NAME JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
There’s no doubt undocumented immigrants play a role in New Mexico’s workforce. They make up about 53,200 of the state’s workforce, or nearly 4%, according to figures provided by the American Immigration Council, a national advocacy group. They contribute $312 million in local, state and federal taxes, with about $1.1 billion in spending power. Undocumented workers nationwide also make up close to half of the crop farmworkers in the U.S., according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. While figures don’t exist for New Mexico, they play a significant role in picking crops like chile, onions and pecans. But if President-elect Donald Trump goes through with plans for mass deportations of undocumented workers, that could heavily affect New Mexico’s agricultural producers. That raises the question: What alternatives do agricultural producers in New Mexico have if they cannot rely on undocumented workers?
The Journal asked that question to a couple of experts in the state. Here are their responses:
Carlos Carpio-Ochoa, professor and head of New Mexico State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business “In economics, we distinguish between shortterm and longterm adjustments. In the short term, farmers could offer higher wages to attract documented workers from other sectors of the economy, such as construction or hospitality. However, wage increases are limited by the prices farmers receive for their products and other production costs. Another option is mechanization, if available. Finally, farmers may rely on current legal programs to bring in foreign workers. They will need to weigh the costs and benefits of each option carefully, but in most cases, all options are likely to result in higher production costs in the short term. The government could reduce some costs, for example, by reducing the burden of foreign worker programs or financing labor-replacing machinery. In the long term, where there is more room for adaptation, there could be a shift in farmed products, with a move toward less labor-intensive agricultural goods or a greater reliance on machinery. The U.S. agricultural sector has always been at the forefront of discovery and innovation. It can take time and effort, but the sector could adapt long term.”
Kelly O’Donnell, local economist and Homewise’s chief research and policy officer
“In the short term, New Mexico’s agricultural producers have no economically viable alternatives to immigrant labor. The federal government’s visa programs are already insufficient to fill the labor gap. Raising wages and improving working conditions could increase the number of U.S. citizens willing to do this difficult work, but those costs would be passed on to consumers and food would be much more expensive. In the longer term, technology could start to fill some of the gap, but this partial solution would take years to implement and would not forestall the food shortage and price spikes that would result from the loss of immigrant labor
