Assistance Will Be Needed for Affected Farm Workers

01/16/2007 (KFSN) -- Many field workers spent today helping salvage what citrus they can before work dries up, some farm laborers are already getting laid off and local agencies are seeing the number of workers who need assistance growing each day the freeze goes on.

As fast as they could, in temperatures near freezing, farm laborers picked and picked. They couldn't save all the fruit as frigid temperatures lingered. Farmers sliced open their crop to an ugly reality.

Farmers are losing, and so are their workers.

The next week is expected to be swamped at Fresno County Assistance offices who help seasonal workers during emergency situations like this freeze. Julie Hornback of Fresno County says, "On a normal day, we see 1000 people a day in our intakes so that could very easily double."

Under one roof in Reedley, farm laborers can look for other jobs and apply for unemployment. If they qualify, they can also get food stamps and cash assistance.

Long before the wind machines were turned on, when the freeze was initially forecasted some citrus growers say they rushed to get laborers to pick their crop, but there were not enough to go around. Citrus grower, Keith Nilmeier says, "We could've got maybe 10 to 15% more of not just our fruit but the industrywide off and into storages."

Some growers believe if a guest worker program was in place they would be not be facing such devastating losses as they are now.

Statewide, the California Citrus Mutual says 12,000 farm workers could end up out of work and needing some type of help.

County assistance officials say only legal workers qualify for help and for those who do, the amount of assistance will be based on assets and family size.

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