Tighter border controls and fears of travel to the coronavirus-infected US have forced American farmers to seek help among local schoolchildren to harvest wheat.
This was reported by Reuters.
The United States is the third largest exporter of wheat in the world, and delays in harvesting can lead to higher prices and cause a struggle for supply. However, now that a deadly virus is raging in the country, farmers are facing labor shortages.
Previously, thousands of migrants came to the United States for seasonal field work. Now, people are simply afraid to come to the States. Those who are willing to take risks face tight border controls.
So, from October to March, American farmers were issued almost 10.8 thousand H-2A visas, which allow attracting foreigners to work temporarily in agriculture. According to the Ministry of Labor, this is 49% more than a year earlier, but jobs were unclaimed among foreigners. Others simply could not come to the United States.
As a result, farmers had to look for helpers among the local population. Fired workers of oil companies and even schoolchildren are invited to work in the fields. However, farmers complain that American workers are more expensive. In addition, they have to be trained, including the management of special equipment.