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e. 1. Assessment of Need. Provide 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.

Current Narrative:

There are over 24,990 farms in Idaho with over 160 commodities produced. Most of Idaho’s crop farming requiring intensive use of hand labor occurs in the southern part of the state on the Snake River plain. Idaho’s top five labor-intensive crops are potatoes, sugar beets, hay/grain, onions, and corn. These crops are labor-intensive primarily because many workers are needed for irrigation. However, these crops also need planting in the spring, hoeing, thinning and then harvesting. In addition to the top five labor-intensive crops mentioned, hops are cultivated in the northern and southwestern parts of the state and there is large production of peas and lentils in north-central Idaho. Nursery operations are another important agricultural activity, mainly for the production of ornamental trees in north Idaho. The dairy industry, concentrated in the south-central part of the state, has skyrocketed, with many large dairy operations producing their own hay on the same properties. In 2019, Idaho led the nation in the production of potatoes, food-size trout, and Austrian winter peas, and ranked third in the production of milk.

Idaho’s need for an agricultural labor force has remained steady and it is projected that agriculture possibly may become a high-demand industry. The projections provided by the Idaho Department of Labor’s (IDOL) Research & Analysis Bureau show the need for agricultural workers is approximately 61,000 during the peak of the agricultural season.