Related
Like many other industries, the coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on California farms, which continue to grow fresh produce, but worker safety is a concern.
California Farm Bureau president Jamie Johansson told KCBS Radio that the health of farmworkers is always important, but extra steps are being taken as the novel coronavirus spreads.
“Just really sitting down and showing them new techniques we have taken in terms of, maybe, staggered start times, staggered break times, maybe working every other row, but taking the social distancing measures, as necessary, as well as proper sanitation,” Johansson said.
Farmworkers are considered to be essential workers, but many of them also are poor or undocumented with little access to healthcare, and therefore are very worried about getting sick.
Meanwhile, with restaurants across the state and the country closed to in-house dining and therefore buying less produce, Johansson said California’s farms are seeing a billion dollars in losses per week nationally.
“The food is out on the shelves and we’re growing it, but we have lost half of our markets with the loss of the restaurants,” he said. “So consumers should still be able to see the supply as long as we can keep the distraction side going with it but we continue you to farm in California.”
Johansson said the bottom line is that consumers should still be able to find produce in the grocery store.