News Release

Potato Growers of Idaho Praises Passage of Immigration Reform

Legislation includes key provisions for agriculture

BLACKFOOT, ID — The Potato Growers of Idaho (PGI) are pleased with the recent passage of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006.

The bill, which includes Sen. Larry Craig’s, R-Idaho, AgJOBS provision, contains important solutions for U.S. agriculture, and addresses the growing need to provide farmers with sufficient workers so the industry can remain viable and competitive.

It is important for Americans to know where their food comes from, said Nic Behrend, a potato grower from Aberdeen, Idaho. It takes more than a handful of farmers to supply food to an entire nation. Without adequate labor, we are jeopardizing our domestic food supply, which is known to be the safest and most reliable in the world.

Without Sen. Craig’s vision and leadership, the agricultural industry would be devastated, said Keith Esplin, PGI’s executive director. Agriculture still plays a very important role in Idaho, and AgJOBS will allow potato growers to get the help they need to stay in business.

While PGI recognizes the overall bill is not perfect, the organization was pleased that the industry’s needs were acknowledged and addressed.

The Senate bill calls for a much-needed verification program, which will allow employers to know the employee’s legal status. PGI also recognizes the need for comprehensive immigration reform that includes measures such as securing the nation’s border, which are all necessary to carry out an effective and credible guest-worker program.

The bills passage comes at a very important time as potato growers across the state have reported difficulty finding sufficient help.

The economy is growing very rapidly, and with such low unemployment, it is becoming extremely difficult to find workers, said Paris Penfold, a potato grower from Driggs, Idaho. There simply are not enough Americans to fill all the jobs, especially when it comes to farming.

The Senate bill will now face a conference committee where possible reconciliation efforts will be made with the House bill passed last December.