cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32291701
The reason is simple: an increase in immigration enforcement, including high-profile ICE raids, shook Texas farm workers to their core. The news filtered fast that workers—regardless of legal status—chose safety over a salary.
Farmers, who had been working with their crews for decades, described the loss as “devastating” and “unprecedented.” This is alarming as most farms are founded upon immigrant labor, both legal and illegal, creating a domino effect for the food system as a whole.
. . . When farm workers vanish, the effects are felt far beyond the fields. Livestock is untended, crops go unpicked, food production declines, and food prices dramatically increase. In Texas alone, where specialty vegetables and fruits must be hand-picked, worker shortages jeopardize entire harvest seasons.
This results in fewer foods on grocery store shelves, higher prices for families nationwide, and a greater reliance on imports. Threads on Reddit and YouTube are already predicting price hikes and empty produce shelves.
This is not a problem for big ag. That’s why no regional or national ag-orgs are complaining. This is not a face eating leopard moment, sadly.
Campaneros still need to work. The pattern at the moment is they stay away for a few days after a raid, but then return. This benefits their bosses. Previously there were work stoppages to pressure bosses to raise the $/piece rate. Not now.
Plus the regime has promised to replace the workers lost to their ethnic cleansing campaign with an expanded H2a visa program - after having stripped away many of the already meager protections against wage theft.
The plantation lords know they’re getting cheaper, more exploitable labor.