Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
- 1. Assessment of NeedProvide an assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers in the area based on past and projected agricultural and farmworker activity in the State. Such needs may include but are not limited to: employment, training, and housing.
- 1. Assessment of Need
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
e. 1. A. An Assessment of the Agricultural Activity in the State Means: 1) Identifying the Top Five Labor-intensive Crops, the Months of Heavy Activity, and the Geographic Area of Prime Activity; 2) Summarize the Agricultural Employers’ Needs in the State (i.e. Are They Predominantly Hiring Local or Foreign Workers, Are They Expressing That There is a Scarcity in the Agricultural Workforce); and 3) Identifying Any Economic, Natural, or Other Factors That Are Affecting Agriculture in the State or Any Projected Factors That Will Affect Agriculture in the State.
Current Narrative:
According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Missouri ranks second in the nation in the number of farms. Missouri’s crops, livestock processing and other agricultural sectors account for over $14 billion per year. The top five labor-intensive crops for the State of Missouri are: apples, peaches, watermelon, potatoes and grapes. A majority of the heavy activity occurs in the months beginning as early as March and continuing through October. The main geographic areas of prime activity are in the Southeast Local Area, West Central Local Area and Southwest Local Area of Missouri.
2. Agricultural Employers’ Needs
DWD’s AES staff strive to work closely within the agricultural sector to identify the needs of farmers, producers and agricultural businesses and to provide assistance to fulfill those needs. Currently, the biggest factor affecting agriculture in Missouri is a reliable, qualified workforce. Many of the farmers, producers and agricultural businesses have the desire to increase their production, but are held back from expanding due to the lack of farm workers.
3. Factors affecting agriculture in the state
Missouri agriculture is impacted greatly by weather conditions including rainfall, drought and temperatures. Pestilence and disease are other factors creating field crop problems. Missouri has a number of opportunities for agricultural producers to research and explore solutions through the University of Missouri Extension Services and the Department of Agriculture. Often quickly identifying a problem and finding a solution to remedy the problem can prevent negative impacts to crops. As producers find better ways to grow their crops they have seasons that require additional labor. During peak harvest season it is important to have access to a strong agricultural workforce that can assist producers in garnering the greatest yield from their crops.