In an attempt to push immigration reform to get passed this year, more than 70 of the biggest agricultural lobbies have formed Partnership for a New American Economy, which the group describes as bringing "together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reform as a way of creating jobs for Americans today," according to the group's website.
"The campaign, called #IFarmImmigration, will kick off on Wednesday on Capitol Hill where farmers and ranchers will brief congressional staff about the need for changes in immigration law," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. "Throughout February, participants will be releasing new research on labor shortages while telling their stories through farm tours, social and traditional media, videos and community events for members of Congress in their districts."
While the immigration bill remains in limbo, the agricultural industry continues to move forward with technology that could replace human workers with robotic equipment, Agri-Pulse reports. Qin Zhang, senior scientist at Washington State University's Center for Precision & Automated Agriculture Systems, told Agri-Pulse, “When you see a robotic tractor, it looks like a regular tractor. You tell the tractor where to go; it finds the field and plows, pulls back in and shuts down.” Most of the robotics have been used in harvesting grain crops, but scientists are exploring ways to use the technology for picking apples and other produce, and with fully-automated milking machines. So far, robots aren't able to pick apples fast enough to replace humans. (WSU photo: Fruit picking robotic hand)
Farm workers shouldn't start worrying about losing their jobs, said Erik Nicholson, national vice president of the United Farm Workers. He told Agri-Pulse that agricultural businesses “will need people to drive the machines, fix the machines.” He also said humans can better differentiate between quality crops and rotten or immature crops, saying “A machine can’t tell the difference. A machine can’t tell between a good and bad green bean.”
The technology is still in its infancy, and liability issues remain a concern, said Nick Tindall, director of government affairs at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He told Agri-Pulse, "You don’t want a software hiccup, and it hits something. We're at the dawn of this." Agri-Pulse is subscription only, but a free trial is available by clicking here.
"The campaign, called #IFarmImmigration, will kick off on Wednesday on Capitol Hill where farmers and ranchers will brief congressional staff about the need for changes in immigration law," reports Agri-Pulse, a Washington newsletter. "Throughout February, participants will be releasing new research on labor shortages while telling their stories through farm tours, social and traditional media, videos and community events for members of Congress in their districts."
Farm workers shouldn't start worrying about losing their jobs, said Erik Nicholson, national vice president of the United Farm Workers. He told Agri-Pulse that agricultural businesses “will need people to drive the machines, fix the machines.” He also said humans can better differentiate between quality crops and rotten or immature crops, saying “A machine can’t tell the difference. A machine can’t tell between a good and bad green bean.”
The technology is still in its infancy, and liability issues remain a concern, said Nick Tindall, director of government affairs at the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. He told Agri-Pulse, "You don’t want a software hiccup, and it hits something. We're at the dawn of this." Agri-Pulse is subscription only, but a free trial is available by clicking here.
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