![Immigration raids in California paralyse farming and harvesting [World News]](https://foodcom.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/News-world_4-1520x760.png "Immigration raids in California paralyse farming and harvesting [World News]")
- ICE immigration raids have significantly reduced the number of seasonal workers on California farms.
- Labour shortages are leading to crop losses, threatening food supplies and driving up prices.
- California accounts for a key share of US vegetable, fruit and nut production.
- The government has announced measures to mitigate the effects of the raids, but no specific actions have been outlined yet.
Labour shortages lead to crop losses
ICE immigration raids on farms in California have significantly reduced the number of seasonal workers in the fields, especially in Ventura County and the Central Valley. Lisa Tate, a sixth-generation farmer, notes that up to 70% of the workforce has disappeared from the fields. – If 70% of the workers don’t come in, 70% of the crop doesn’t get harvested and can spoil in a day, Tate points out.
California is an important food-producing region in the US, accounting for more than a third of the country’s vegetable production and more than three-quarters of its fruit and nuts. In 2023, farms and ranches in the state generated nearly $60 billion in agricultural revenue.
Implications for the supply chain and agricultural economy
According to experts and farmers, the loss of labour could have serious consequences for the entire agricultural economy. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, former head of the Congressional Budget Office, points out that around 80% of agricultural workers in the US are foreign-born, a significant proportion of whom are in the country illegally. Their shortage could result in higher food prices and disrupted supply chains.
Some of the immigrants in the country illegally have given up their jobs, while others are limiting their activity in public spaces, fearing detention. However, reports from organisations supporting agricultural workers suggest that many are nevertheless returning to work out of economic necessity.
President Donald Trump has acknowledged that ICE’s actions are hitting agriculture, depriving farms of “good, long-working people”. He has announced solutions to mitigate the negative effects of the raids, but so far no specific changes have been announced.
