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. 2. 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:
1. Identify the top five labor-intensive crops, the months of heavy activity, and the geographic area of prime activity.
The needs of farmworkers in Indiana have remained strong from year to year due to consistent crops, overall agricultural production, and planting and harvesting cycles. The top five labor intensive crops in Indiana are corn, tomatoes, melons, pumpkins, and apples.
The majority of the farm work activity in the State occurs in the northwest, central, and southern regions of the State with bursts of pockets near the following counties: Adams, Madison, Vigo, Sullivan, and Knox counties. Peak season in Indiana varies between March/April to mid-November.
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).
Growers are still expressing a shortage of U.S. Domestic workers and are moving towards hiring foreign workers. Last fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023), the Indiana State Workforce Agency (SWA) processed 212 agricultural clearance orders. The total amount of H2A workers requested in Indiana for the year of 2023 is 5,138 H2A workers. DWD will increase collaboration and communication with the ISDA to extend its outreach efforts and impact for MSFWs.
3. Identify any economic, natural, or other factors that are affecting agriculture in the State or any projected factors that will affect agriculture in the State.
Even though agriculture in Indiana contributes an estimated $35.1 billion to the economy, growers are still expressing a shortage of hiring local domestic workers and are moving towards hiring foreign workers. Last fiscal year (Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2023), the Indiana State Workforce Agency (SWA) processed 436 agricultural job orders. We have seen an increase in foreign workers in all types of agricultural commodities. Agricultural employers are hiring truck drivers, construction workers, agricultural equipment operators, and mechanics for agricultural work.
For the last couple of years, there have been warmer winters, wetter springs, and hotter summers. This may result in increasing weed, increasing pests and disease in Indiana’s agricultural production. Some migrant workers could be hesitant to travel due to fear of facing another low production year.