Narrative: e. 1.

Louisiana is not identified by the U.S. Department of Labor as a significant* Migrant Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) state, nor is it among states with high estimated MSFW activity. Nor does Louisiana have any significant MSFW regions or local offices, or bi-lingual offices.

* A significant state is one that has “…the highest number of Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) applicants that utilize services available under the Wagner-Peyser Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 1998. The Employment and Training Administration (ETA) designates annually the top twenty states with the highest MSFW activity based on data received from state and local offices.”

Source: United States Department of Labor (USDOL), Employment and Training Administration, http://www.doleta.gov/programs/who_msfw.cfm

The Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) will provide services to MSFWs, consistent with the requirements of 20 CFR 653, Subpart B, Service to Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) to provide information and services to MSFWs on a quantitatively proportionate and qualitatively equivalent basis compared to non-MSFWs. LWC will continue to offer the full range of employment services, benefits and protections, including the full range of counseling, testing, and job and training referral services as are provided to non-MSFWs. LWC will strive to make sufficient penetration into the farm workers’ community so the largest possible number of MSFWs are made aware of those services available to them through our statewide network of One-Stop Centers and partners.

Considering the relatively small number of MSFWs within the state and the limited funding resources and manpower available to LWC, the State Monitor Advocate (SMA) is a part time position, combined with the H-2 program operator duties. However, the resources of the entire workforce system and One-Stop Centers will be utilized in providing a quantitatively proportionate and qualitatively equivalent level of services to MSFWs.

A. Assessment Of Agricultural Activity Within The State

In 2014 (the latest year for which information is available); Louisiana agricultural production contributed $7 billion to the State’s economy, an increase of 1 percent above the previous years. Still the total dollar value was affected by lower prices for many crops.

The following quotation provides a summary of 2014 production levels.

Despite any difficulty producers may have experienced individually in the year, collectively producers enjoyed record or near record yields for the second year in a row, but mixed prices for the state’s agricultural commodities. This resulted in total gross farm gate value for the agricultural industry being $7 billion in 2014, an increase of 1 percent above the previous 2 year. Plant enterprises were down slightly in gross farm gate values to $4.1 billion in 2014, less than 1 percent decrease, due to strong returns from record high yields for soybeans and stronger forestry sector in 2014.

Louisiana’s producers continue to lead the nation in crawfish, oyster, pet turtle and alligator sales. As crawfish, catfish, oysters and alligators exhibited production increases during 2014, so did the overall gross farm value of Louisiana aquaculture, which increased by 11 percent compared to the previous year. This was largely due to a 25 percent increase in farm-raised crawfish production and value during 2014.

The average yield of (sugar) cane produced from each harvested acre amounted to 33.3 tons per acre (a decrease of 0.8 tons per acre compared to 25 Plant Enterprises 2013). The average sugar recovery at the 11 raw sugar factories was a new state record of 11.6 percent or 232 pounds of sugar (96º pol) per ton of cane; this was an increase of 10 pounds of sugar per ton of cane compared to the 2013 crop. The yield of commercially recoverable sugar produced per harvested acre was approximately 7,730 pounds (an increase of 160 pounds compared to the 2013 crop). The 2012 crop had the highest recoverable sugar per acre of any sugarcane crop ever grown in Louisiana when production was recorded at 8,412 pounds of sugar per harvested acre.

Source: LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Ag Summary, http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Money+and+Business/Louisiana+Summary++Agriculture+and+Natural+Resources_seriespage-2.htm

As indicated below, in 2014, agricultural employers placed job orders with LWC relative to the following selected crops.

Sour Source: LSU AgCenter,
http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/communications/publications/Publications+Catalog/Money+and+Business/Louisiana+Summary++Agriculture+and+Natural+Resources_seriespage-2.htm

§ Sugarcane: Raw sugar comprised 1,461,453 tons of production and molasses comprised 87,659,338 gallons.

The greatest challenge to the Louisiana sugarcane industry is the oppressive effect of artificially low prices in the international sugar market. The low prices are the result of foreign governments in competing countries, e.g., Brazil, India, and Thailand, subsidizing their sugar industries. Foreign government efforts to support their sugar markets create incentives for farmers to overproduce. The resulting surplus tends to drive prices further downward, creating a circular negative effect upon prices and a demand for even greater subsidies. Additionally, production acreage continues to be lost to residential and industrial encroachment upon farmland.

§ Soybeans: 1,391,827 acres of Louisiana lands were farmed, producing 79,560,344 bushels of soybeans.

§ Strawberries: Although strawberries can be grown in all parts of the state, Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes have been the traditional commercial production areas. Marketable strawberry production totaled 766,127 flats.

A high input of capital as well as effort is required to establish a successful strawberry planting. Two (2) workers per acre are usually required during field preparation, planting, laying plastic, and irrigation. Three (3) to four (4) workers per acre are usually needed for harvesting berries. Weather conditions and seasonal market prices are the greatest challenges to the strawberry growers in the state.

§ Plant Nurseries: Various types of plant nurseries operate within Louisiana, including foliage plants, woody ornamentals, fruit and nut trees, and floriculture and bedding plants. Although commercial nurseries are distributed throughout the state, most large nurseries are concentrated in Rapides (particularly Forest Hill), Tangipahoa, and St. Tammany Parishes. Also, numerous citrus orchards in Jefferson and Plaquemines Parishes sell citrus trees in addition to harvesting fruit.

§ Rice: Farmers produced 1,694,718 tons of rice. Many rice farmers combine or alternate rice crops with crawfish production. Since 1995, yield per acre has increased from 5,621 pounds per acre to 7,572 pounds per acre in 2014.

Low market prices are the greatest challenge to Louisiana rice farmers, caused by crop surpluses worldwide. To alleviate the risk, many rice farmers diversify into crawfish production, which can be raised in the same fields as the rice.

§ Crawfish: Southern Louisiana produces more than 90 percent of the total crawfish production in the southern U.S. In 2014, Louisiana produced over 63,730 tons of farm-raised freshwater crawfish, an increase of 25% over the previous year. The number of acres farmed for crawfish increased by 40,000 acres. The season began late in the year because of an unseasonably cold winter. Additionally, cool temperatures lingered much later than usual, causing the crawfish to remain underground. However, favorable conditions later in the season made up for the delay. Much of the total southern crop area is combined or alternated with rice production.

The greatest challenge for Louisiana crawfish farmers are fluctuating weather and prices and the ability of processors to accept the product. Crawfish farmers ship their product to processors, who rely greatly upon H-2B laborers. The processors are only able to accept as much product as they can handle with the available workforce. If the processors are unable to hire enough workers, the amount of product they can process is reduced. Under these circumstances, the farmer must find other avenues to market their product. If they are unable to do so, they may cut back on production or close the harvest season early.

§ Sweet Potatoes: Louisiana sweet potato producers experienced a good year in 2014. Producers were able to harvest all acreage planted. Producers reported yields in the range of 450-500 bushels with the state average estimated at 480 bushel. The total gross value of the sweet potato crop was estimated at $66,717,784. Between the 2007 and 2012 NASS Census Surveys, the number of farms raising sweet potatoes decreased from 120 to 61, and the total number of acres farmed likewise decreased from 14,863 to 12,506. This decrease follows a consistently continuing decrease from previous surveys. Approximately 75% of the crop is processed for canning or animal feed. These crops are highly mechanized and hire few workers. The other 25% goes to fresh market. The fresh market potatoes require more handling by hand. More producers are expected to move toward mechanized harvesting as growth in the processing market increases.

USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and LSU Ag Summary 2014

The top five labor-intensive crops are:

The general employment trend in rural Louisiana has been for workers to leave agricultural work for higher paying or less labor intensive jobs in other occupations. Additionally, while many workers enjoy agricultural work, very few can adapt to living on a seasonal income. As a result, agricultural employers have a difficult time finding reliable local workers. The H-2A temporary agricultural foreign worker program has become increasingly popular among Louisiana agricultural employers, following the national trend. Today, H-2A workers dominate the agricultural labor force in the state.

During 2015, agricultural employers placed 822 agricultural job orders, 130 more than 2014, and 310 more than 2013. Of the 822 agricultural job orders, all but 10 were for H-2A workers. A total of 14 positions were sought through the 10 non-H2-A job orders. Of those 10 job orders, 5 were from non-H-2A employers, for a total of 7 non-H-2A positions. None of the employers expressed interest in the Agricultural Recruitment System (ARS) beyond searching for workers locally through the HIRE system. The total number temporary or seasonal workers requested through these job orders were 7,801, an increase of 579 workers from 2014, and 1,213 from 2013. This job order activity is consistent with the growing trend for agricultural employers to seek H-2A workers. This indicates the level of demand for agricultural workers within the state.

Agricultural employers repeat four common challenges in obtaining a secure and stable workforce:

1. Most workers lack interest in seasonal work.

2. Most workers are not interested in farm work.

3. An increasing number of workers do not have the stamina for farm work, especially in extreme climatic conditions.

4. A lack of workers who will show up for work every day or on time when they do.

5. A lack of reliable workers who will stay with the job more than a few weeks, sometimes abandoning the job without notice.