Source: UC DAVIS, RURAL MIGRATION NEWS, 11/20/20


What were the impacts of covid in 2020 on agriculture and farm labor? Three effects stand out: no widespread reports of labor shortages, more H-2A jobs certified, and more interest in labor-saving mechanization.

No Labor Shortages. First, the demand for farm workers was largely unchanged in 2020, but there were few reports of farm labor shortages. Shipments of selected fresh fruits were down two percent in 2020 compared with 2019 and up four percent for selected vegetables (these data include imports, which are minimal for most fruits and vegetables shipped during the summer months).

Significantly fewer apples, cantaloupes, and peaches were shipped during the first 10 months of 2020 compared to 2019, but more strawberries and watermelons were shipped in 2020 than in 2019. Among fresh vegetables, shipments of sweet corn were down in 2020 while shipments of round tomatoes were up.

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