Trump official joins Dems to hear valley farmers’ beefs
LOS BANOS, Merced County — In a rare show of bipartisanship, Democratic and Republican congressmen lined up Friday with Sonny Perdue, President Trump’s agriculture secretary, to hear the concerns of Central Valley farmers and ranchers.
“There are very few areas left where partisanship takes a backseat, but agriculture is one of them,” said Democratic Rep. Josh Harder of Turlock (Stanislaus County). “We’re all dealing with the same problems — trade, immigration and water — and the Central Valley has a lot of common ground.”
About 200 people showed up at the county fairgrounds to hear from Perdue, a farm family veterinarian and former governor of Georgia. He was joined by Harder, Democratic Reps. Jim Costa and TJ Cox, both of Fresno, and GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa of Richvale (Butte County).
The four congressmen “represent the heart of California agriculture,” Costa said.
But there are increasing problems, starting
with the effect Trump’s immigration crackdown is having on farms that depend on workers from Mexico, including many who are in the U.S. illegally.
When Harder asked how many farmers are having trouble finding workers, almost every hand went up.
“About 70% of California farms and dairies are suffering from labor shortages,” he said. Harder said the only solution was for Congress to change immigration rules.
Joe Del Bosque of Firebaugh (Fresno County) said he had about 100 workers in the fields Friday, picking sweet corn and melons. That number will grow as more of his crops ripen.
“They’re concerned about the administration’s intent to deport 1 million people,” he told Perdue. “These people are important to me. Let our people work.”
Perdue said Trump “knows the importance of foreignborn workers to the agriculture industry” and wants to go after criminals, “but leave the workers alone.”
That’s not what’s happening, Del Bosque said.
“If (Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents) were rounding up criminals and lawbreakers, (workers) would support that,” he said. “But they don’t want ICE coming into their neighborhoods to collect one person and picking up 10 or 12 others.”
There was plenty else the farmers wanted to talk about with Perdue and the congressmen.
Tariffs resulting from the trade war between the U.S. and China “are a tax on agriculture and producers,” said Ken Johnson, a senior vice president of Yosemite Farm Credit in Turlock. “We need access to world markets. We not only feed the U.S., but the world.”
California exported $20.6 billion in agriculture products in 2017. Harder noted that the state “produces 80% of the world’s almonds but only has 1% of the consumers.”
For Perdue and the farm country congressmen, approval of the new U.S.MexicoCanada Agreement, Trump’s updated version of the NAFTA trade pact, must happen quickly. Canada and Mexico are by far the country’s two biggest trading partners.
The problem, though, is that the Democratic leadership in the House has problems with parts of the bill, to the dismay of the farm community.
“The question is whether we can get it to a vote,” Harder said. “Unlike 250 years ago, when 95% of the people were involved in agriculture, only 5% are employed in agriculture today. We have to make sure the voice of agriculture is heard.”
Timing is essential, Perdue said.
“Nobody in trade negotiations gets everything they want,” he said. “We’re all hopeful presidential election politics don’t get in the way of doing the right thing for the country.”
For Cox and Harder, both of whom unseated Republicans in 2018, dealing with the concerns of the farmers, ranchers and dairies in their agcentric districts is key to their political futures.
So far, so good, said Lana Casey of Oakdale (Stanislaus County). As president of the Mid Valley Cowbelles, a support group for cattle ranching, she’s pleased with what she’s seen of Harder.
“He’s doing an excellent job so far,” Casey said. “He’s younger and he’s got a different approach, but so far he’s getting results, which is good.”
Harder, Cox and Costa all represent relatively conservative districts with a history of supporting Republicans, so there’s a narrow partisan line to walk.
“A dairy farmer told me, ‘I don’t have Republican cows or Democratic cows, but I have cows that need support,’ ” Harder said.