They could also, which is notably mentioned no where in the article, pay more? In a market driven economy...which companies want...employees have market power as well when their is a shortage.
Or just import more from Mexico and have Californians concentrate on the higher value jobs.
As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
61–70 of 178 posts
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Picking fruit and vegetables has always been peasant and serf work. The market has never once said, 'you should be paid more,' because there always is an underclass and even if you paid triple what you pay now it'd be the same class of people working the job. The problem is every American thinks he's too good to be at the bottom of the barrel these days.
The underclass is economically coerced. People with options aren't rejecting it because of status, but because it is extremely unpleasant work.
Is money worth being unable to use it except for painkillers.
Src:Done that, had that-this is only a option for people without choices.
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#63Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#64Or they could, you know, offer higher wages.
Picking fruit and vegetables has always been peasant and serf work. The market has never once said, 'you should be paid more,' because there always is an underclass and even if you paid triple what you pay now it'd be the same class of people working the job. The problem is every American thinks he's too good to be at the bottom of the barrel these days.
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would have to disagree on that point; speed is vitally important for equipment like this. Speed and accuracy determine how many of these machines you would need during the short window of peak ripeness. Speed determines how long it will take to get a return (if any) on the capital investment required for the machine. There is a reason that agricultural equipment is so large and most of it has to do with the short w…
I don't have any experience in the commercial farming space, but since we're talking about strawberry picking here, aren't they picked far before the time that they're ripe, and ripened after using ethylene? (This is the main reason strawberries don't taste as good as they used to)
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#66Earlier quoted context omitted.
I would have to disagree on that point; speed is vitally important for equipment like this. Speed and accuracy determine how many of these machines you would need during the short window of peak ripeness. Speed determines how long it will take to get a return (if any) on the capital investment required for the machine. There is a reason that agricultural equipment is so large and most of it has to do with the short w…
I don't have any experience in the commercial farming space, but since we're talking about strawberry picking here, aren't they picked far before the time that they're ripe, and ripened after using ethylene? (This is the main reason strawberries don't taste as good as they used to)
I picked some peppers from my garden yesterday. A few are not as ripe as I want so I put them into a bag with a banana. Bananas produce more ethylene and by tomorrow all peppers should be red. No taste impact.
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#67They could also, which is notably mentioned no where in the article, pay more? In a market driven economy...which companies want...employees have market power as well when their is a shortage.
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#68That’s because immigrant farmworkers in California’s agricultural heartlands are getting older and not being replaced. As others have mentioned it's all to do with the wages that the fruit growers are willing to pay, and Driscoll's (mentioned in the article) have been at the center of controversy about their wages for some time for their practices in Mexico and elsewhere: https://boycott-driscolls.org/ The Union of I…
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Speed is significantly less important than your suggesting. The hard parts are not damaging the crop and most importantly not doing the wrong thing.
I would have to disagree on that point; speed is vitally important for equipment like this. Speed and accuracy determine how many of these machines you would need during the short window of peak ripeness. Speed determines how long it will take to get a return (if any) on the capital investment required for the machine. There is a reason that agricultural equipment is so large and most of it has to do with the short w…
Re: As California’s labor shortage grows, farmers replace workers with robots
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
Picking fruit and vegetables has always been peasant and serf work. The market has never once said, 'you should be paid more,' because there always is an underclass and even if you paid triple what you pay now it'd be the same class of people working the job. The problem is every American thinks he's too good to be at the bottom of the barrel these days.
If it's a comparison between getting crap pay at McDonalds and getting crap pay in the hot sun all day, then there is no comparison.
The worst case is about the same. The average day is better picking fruit.