As fall apple season gears up in the orchards and packing houses, growers, shippers and marketers are concerned about the domino effects of the coronavirus on employees and productivity.
In Orleans County in western New York, it had been several weeks since a new infection was reported but United Apple Sales, Lyndonville, N.Y., still expects to take the precautions suggested by local, state and federal government agencies, said Brett Baker, vice president.
“We do expect it will affect our production as we spread people out, and make us less labor efficient, but overall safety is key,” Baker said.
He is concerned about delays in bringing in H-2A temporary foreign workers.
And Baker is also worried about how the federal government’s COVID-19 unemployment assistance will affect the labor pool.
“For us in the production industry, trying to pay in the $14-15 range an hour, there’s almost no motivation to get a job. They can do as well staying home,” Baker said.
“And depending on what happens with schools, if children stay at home, how many parents will have to leave the workforce and stay home?”
Like many companies, Rice Fruit Co., Gardners, Pa., has completely changed the way it operates due to the virus, said Brenda Briggs, vice president of sales and marketing.
It hired a bilingual COVID-19 response safety officer to conduct health screenings every morning as employees arrive at work and to drive around reminding employees of social distancing and masks.
Besides all the other changes, including barring visitors and increased sanitizing, there are also fewer employees on packing lines in order to maintain a safe social distance.
“So it means that you generally have to run slower and longer to get the same amount of product,” Briggs said.
“As we go into harvest, we’ve learned a lot, but we still have questions on how we will operate into the peak of our season with higher demand and more varieties.”
Besides travel restrictions that can delay growers from getting the H-2A workers they need, if there’s an outbreak at a farm or packing shed, that will definitely cause the company to pause and regroup, said Jessica Wells, business manager for Crunch Time Apple Growers, Lockport, N.Y.
This possibility further solidifies commitment of the cooperative’s growers, sales agents and packers to work with local health departments to ensure preventative measures are in place, Wells said.
“There’s just almost nothing about the business that hasn’t changed because of the virus,” Briggs said.
“And it’s all more expensive, and extra resources are needed. I think that’s true across businesses. It’s the reality we’re living in.”
Related Content:
U.S. Apple crop estimate closely follows USDA projection
