Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Wagner-Peyser Program (Employment Services)
All Program-Specific Requirements provided for the WIOA core programs in this section must be addressed for either a Unified or Combined State Plan.
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
- 1. Assessment of NeedProvide an assessment of the unique needs of farmworkers in the area based on past and projected agricultural and farmworker activity in the State. Such needs may include but are not limited to: employment, training, and housing.
- 1. Assessment of Need
- e. Agricultural Outreach Plan (aop). Each State Agency Must Develop an Aop Every Four Years as Part of the Unified or Combined State Plan Required Under Sections 102 or 103 of WIOA. the Aop Must Include--
e. 1. A. An Assessment of the Agricultural Activity in the State Means: 1) Identifying the Top Five Labor-intensive Crops, the Months of Heavy Activity, and the Geographic Area of Prime Activity; 2) Summarize the Agricultural Employers’ Needs in the State (i.e. Are They Predominantly Hiring Local or Foreign Workers, Are They Expressing That There is a Scarcity in the Agricultural Workforce); and 3) Identifying Any Economic, Natural, or Other Factors That Are Affecting Agriculture in the State or Any Projected Factors That Will Affect Agriculture in the State.
Current Narrative:
The top labor-intensive crops and percentage of total agricultural economic activity continue to be corn (and corn for grain and soy beans) 53%, melons .5%, tomatoes .7%, tobacco .3%, and select berries .1%. Corn, melon, tomatoes are predominantly in the southern, southeastern, and northern parts of Indiana. Tobacco and select berries are located in southern Indiana. In general, employers have expressed a lack of available local workers and have demonstrated a steady demand for foreign labor, as in past seasons. Farm labor contractors using H-2A workers have accounted for the majority of the need (approx. 2,000 workers) for corn detasseling during peak season (June - July). Economic factors are projected to be stable, with a balanced, effective net result of new employers replacing those ceasing operations. Weather extremes are the primary variable that has the potential for the most impact on agriculture and agricultural operations.
Sources: Purdue Agriculture Extension, Indiana Farm Bureau, USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service