Georgia's immigration law leads to agricultural worker shortages

I noted last month that Carlos Santana spoke out at a Braves game against Georgia's newly passed immigration law that was partly patterned after the one passed not too long ago in Arizona.

But Santana isn't the only one complaining about it.

The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has estimated the labor shortages afflicting South Georgia counties could put as much as $300 million in crops at risk. But the full extent of the damage won’t be known until after July, when farmers have finished harvesting their summer crops, including blueberries, watermelons and sweet corn, said Charles Hall, the association’s executive director. When that damage is tabulated, Hall said, it will help farmers decide whether they should plant less for future harvests.

Farmers say the Hispanic migrant workers they depend on to pick their fruits and vegetables are bypassing Georgia to work in other states. The workers are concerned they will be harassed or jailed here following the passage of HB 87, the farmers said.

Its been clear for awhile now that Republicans tend to not think through the affects of their ideologically-driven policies. For example, they say they want to create jobs but promote a budget that is projected to eliminate them due to spending cuts.

And now we see that the results of a law passed by Georgia Republicans is likely to be that farmers will plant less crops to adjust to fewer workers available for the harvest. I'm sure that will be good for food prices and Georgia's economy. < snark off >