Migration & Vegetables
Congressman Jerry Nadler (D–NY) claims that “our vegetables would rot in the ground if they weren’t being picked by many immigrants — many illegal immigrants.”
IN FACT, a 2017 study by the Giannini Foundation for Agricultural Economics at the University of California found that if the cost of farm labor rose by 40% because illegal migration was curbed, the average U.S. family would only pay an extra $21/year for fresh fruits and vegetables.
Per the study, “There is little relationship between farm wages and consumer prices for fresh fruits and vegetables for three major reasons. First, Americans do not spend much on fresh fruits and vegetables, an average of $530 a year per household in 2015. Second, farmers receive only a third of what consumers pay for produce, about $165 per household per year. Third, farm labor costs are usually less than a third of farmer revenue, about $55 per household per year.”
