Farm Labor Shortage Contributing to Specialty Crop Mechanization

WASHINGTON, DC – Due to an increasing shortage of agricultural labor, more specialty farmers are looking to either exit the sector or automate. At $64.7 billion, specialty crops comprised one-third of U.S. crop receipts and one-sixth of receipts for all agricultural products in 2017. Many are labor-intensive in production, harvesting, or processing. A long-term decline in the supply of farm labor domestically has encouraged producers to select less labor-intensive crops, invest in labor-saving technologies, and develop strategies to increase labor productivity. A number of USDA programs support the development and use of automation or mechanization in the production and processing of specialty crops. From 2008-2018, these programs funded $287.7 million toward 213 projects to develop and enhance the use of automation or mechanization in specialty crop production and processing. Projects covered a broad spectrum of technologies, including job aid and machinery automation; machine learning and data analysis; mechanical harvesting and processing; precision agriculture; remote sensing and drones; and sensors.