Immigration Reform and Implications for the US Fruit Industry

Diane E. Charlton(a)
(a)Montana State University

JEL Codes: J43, Q1, Q16, Q18
Keywords: farm labor, fruit & nut sector, immigration

First Published Online: April 15, 2026

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Abstract

Stricter immigration policies could drastically reduce US fruit production. Rising farm wages have increased mechanization efforts, but many tasks are still done by hand. This paper reviews recent literature on the current farm labor market conditions and the outlook for automation.

About the Authors: Diane Charlton (Corresponding author email: diane.charlton@montana.edu) is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics & Economics at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT.

Acknowledgments:I would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and Stephen Devadoss for serving as editor.

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