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. 2. 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:
Assessment of agricultural activity in Colorado
Top Five Labor-Intensive Crops
| Crops: | Potatoes | Sweet Corn, Silage, Grain | Beans | Apples | Onions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approximate Acreage: | 53,000 | 476,200 | 18,300 | 3,400 | 10,800 |
| Months of Heavy Activity | Sept-Oct | Jul-Oct | Apr-Sept | Aug-Nov | Jul-Nov |
| Geographic Area of Prime Activity | South Central | North & West | North | West | Statewide |
Colorado sees about 20,000 farm workers each year throughout the state. Colorado’s agricultural industry is challenged with finding enough domestic job applicants who meet the qualifications for their available positions. This makes it more difficult due to continued abundant work opportunities in other industries and local farm workers aging out. Employers are using foreign labor H2A workers to supplement their seasonal needs. In addition, the impact of lack of housing has heavily affected the migrant labor pool. Many farmworkers are staying at their home base due to fear of not having a place to stay once they arrive. Colorado saw an increase of H2A applications in PY22 with 499 job orders entered compared to 444 in the previous program year. This does not include the number of workers requested in each order.
Colorado’s 2023 growing season has seen more than usual rain totals. This has caused crops to be damaged, destroyed or in some cases a need to replant. The extra moisture pushed back harvest time projections and yields. Severe weather in different parts of the state created additional problems. Large hail destroyed several fields that were unable to be replanted or harvested. During this time, employers using the H-2A program evaluated if sending workers home would save money or cause a shortage of harvesters if crops recuperated. In the end, the decision was made to keep workers busy with other duties until harvest time.