A potential shortage of pickers is already worrying Florida grapefruit growers ahead of the start to the harvest in October.
Rumours of immigration raids and better-paid jobs in other industry sectors are already diverting workers away from citrus plantations. And grower groups reported in the state’s press estimate that at least 3 million field boxes of late season Valencia fruit will remain unpicked this summer as a result.
Although the 2005-06 grapefruit crop is already in, growers in the Indian River - the principal grapefruit region along Florida's central East Coast - already have an eye on the labour issue for the upcoming season. A bigger crop is hoped for as trees recover from two hurricane devastated seasons.
A shortage of pickers also has the potential to affect growers of a range of produce crops in the state and the industry is already lobbying Congress to develop a guest worker programme to give producers access to an adequate legal workforce.
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