Farmworker Wage Rule, New NC Map, $83M SNAP Audit

The U.S. Department of Labor has released a new rule revising how farmworker wages are calculated, a move expected to impact both agricultural employers and seasonal workers across North Carolina. Lawmakers in Raleigh have unveiled a proposed congressional map, setting up another round of political debate and possible court challenges ahead of 2026. Meanwhile, many homeowners affected by Hurricane Helene are still waiting on FEMA approval for property buyouts. An audit also found that $83 million in SNAP benefits were delayed to North Carolina recipients due to administrative inefficiencies.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
It's five oh five and welcome into a Friday edition
of the Carolina Journal News our newstock Liven ten ninety
nine three WBT. I'm Nick Craig. A good morning to you.
If you have been a longtime listener of the show,
you are well aware of the importance of the agriculture
and farming industry across the state of North Carolina. It
continues to remain the number one business across the state.

(00:32):
And we've got a pretty significant story this morning out
of the federal government that deals with how farm worker
wages are set. The United States Department of Labor has
rolled out a new rule changing how farm worker wages
are calculated. The move is meant to pay fairer wages
for workers and more predictability for farmers. This is updating

(00:53):
a decades old method with some more accurate state level data.
Proponents say it will help stabilize growth gery prices, and
the cost that farmers face to grow the nation's food supply. However,
farm groups are saying that Congress still needs to make
these formulas permanent so that growers and those in that
industry can plan on these formulas in these numbers being

(01:15):
the same in the future. Earlier this month, the Department
of Labor issued its finer Final Interim Rule on the
Adverse Effect Wage Rate ae WR. This amends regulations on
the certification of agricultural labor or services that h TOOA
farm workers perform. The AEWR Agricultural Labor Coalition is now

(01:40):
urging Congress to make those reforms permanent. The new rules
do replace the United States Department of Agricultures Farm Labor
Survey with the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and
Wage Statistical System. According to the press release from the
federal government, the BLS data considered both skill and cost

(02:01):
of housing to and for those employers. Michael Granger, who
is the executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission,
set in a press release and said, speaking on behalf
of thirty four other agricultural organizations quote, this proves that
the federal government agencies and Cabinet can provide solution driven

(02:22):
results for constituents, but Congress must also act to make
things more permanent so farms and ranches can plan and
future proof their organizations as the business and trade continues
to shift and adapt. We applaud the current work to
get this far, but we can't run farms or feed

(02:43):
families on short term fixes that change with every administration.
The coalition calls on Congress to establish a long term
market based AEWR framework that offers predictability for growers while
upholding protections for workers here in the United States. This
would enable growers to plan years in advance for input,

(03:06):
crop rotation, trade commitments, and other things, rather than making
decisions on a season by season basis, which they note
would contribute to restoring stability and rule communities that form
the foundation of the nation's economy. That's all, according to
the press release there from Michael Granger. Comparing the instability

(03:28):
created by temporary label labor regulations and the fallout of
the current government shutdown, the coalition asserts that both the
investments that are ongoing here could erode confidence and put
national interest at risk of the long term harm. Kelly Lester,
who is a policy analyst over at the John Locke Foundation,

(03:49):
told the Carolina Journal quote this revision to the H
two A wage formula is a much needed modernization by
shifting from the outdated farm Land Labor Survey to the
BLS data. This distinction in wages by skill level. This
rule will help better align pay with the actual duties
performed on farms. It also incorporates a housing adjustment to

(04:14):
acknowledge non cash benefits that can be offered to workers.
Taken together, these changes reduce distortion, lower undue cost burdens
on farmers, and create a more transparent market based wage system.
Over the past three years, a growers in a variety
of industries in the agricultural sector have experienced a massive

(04:35):
surge in labor costs and in some cases spend more
than thirty percent. That has resulted in reduced planting, a
shift of production overseas, and of course higher prices for consumers.
And you have been paying those in seeing some of
those impacts over at the grocery store. In an exclusive
comment to Carolina Journal dot com once again, the executive

(04:56):
director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission said quote,
sweet potatoes are not only North Carolina's state vegetable, it's
also recognized as one of its signature crops. Our state
produces nearly sixty five percent of the nation's supply, but
labor costs have become one of our biggest challenges. The
Department of Labour's interm final rule is an important step

(05:20):
forward in making the system more fair and predictable for growers,
but long term success depends on Congress enacting permanent reforms
our farms and family farms so that they can't so
they can't plan for future crops, labor needs, or export
commitments on short term rules. North Carolina agriculture needs stability

(05:44):
to stay competitive and maintain the positive economic impact of
more than one hundred and eleven billion dollars statewide as
we work to continue feeding families here and around the world.
The AWR Agriculture Labor Coalition represents thirty four organizations across
seven states, three national associations, seven state advocacy groups, and

(06:07):
twenty five different unique crops. These organizations collectively account for
more than eight hundred and twenty four billion dollars in
agricultural economic impact and support over six million jobs across
those seven states. Concerns have been raised that the agricultural
workforce is being impacted due to ongoing immigration discussions here

(06:30):
in the federal government and ongoing deportation efforts by the
Trump administration. A recent Federal Registrar filing reads quote US
agriculture employers need a legal and stable workforce to support
their farming operations, and persistent labor shortages and as well
as increased in production costs, will only harm US competitiveness,

(06:54):
threaten food production, drive up consumer prices, and create instability
within rule commit unities. Without prompt action, agricultural employers will
face severe labor shortages, resulting in disruption to food production,
higher prices, and reduced access for US consumers, particularly to
fresh fruits and vegetables. Further, the Department concludes that qualified

(07:18):
and eligible US workers will not make themselves available in
sufficient numbers, even at current wages, to fill some of
the significant labor shortages within the agricultural sector. Despite comments
from USDA Secretary Brook Rollins earlier this year that the
workforce would be one hundred percent, American experts assert that

(07:40):
Americas lack Americans lack both the skills and the willingness
to fulfill some of these jobs. Kelly Lester from the
John Locke Foundation continued and said Americans have a strong
history in agriculture, but the reality is less than one
percent of domestic workers choose to work in agriculture. While
machines can help with some problems in the agricultural labor.

(08:02):
Many crops such as sweet potatoes, must be harvested by
hand due to setbacks in the accuracy of harvesting technology.
Many hands are needed in order to make this happen.
Unless we can make agricultural preferable to steadier year round
jobs like constructions, I doubt that the American labor supply
will be enough to meet the ongoing agricultural demand. A

(08:26):
recent report called Harvest on Hold is now available from
the John Locke Foundation, and it examines the labor shortage
in the agricultural industry and proposes policy solutions to address it.
The report acknowledges the high cost of the H two
A VISA program as one of the challenges that lead
to the ongoing labor shortage within the farming sector, and

(08:48):
as was echoed by a couple of individuals in this story,
these labor shortages, the unpredictability and some of the nature
in which these rules are being made and heaven made
for a significant amount of time, it is creating a
grand amount of uncertainty within the agricultural industry. And with
that uncertainty, with last minute changes and some of the

(09:10):
other situations that revolve around that that is costing a
farmers a significant amount of money. It is eating into
their bottom line, and of course for consumers, whether here
domestically in North Carolina, some of our international trade partners,
or anywhere across the country that is buying agricultural from
North Carolina, that is having an immediate impact on some

(09:32):
of those prices. We've got some additional details on this
story this morning over on our website, Carolina Journal dot com.
That headline story there, dol it's the Department of Labor
issues new rule on how farm worker wages are set.
You can read those details at Carolina Journal dot com.

(09:56):
It's five twenty one. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal
News Stock eleven ten ninety nine three WBT. We are
getting some new information on a pretty big political story
that we have been tracking this week across the state.
If you've been with us all week earlier or in
the week, we learned from the Republican led General Assembly,
both House Leader Destin Hall and Senate Majority Leader or

(10:20):
Senate President. I should say in Phil Berger that Republicans
do intend on redrawing congressional districts as they are set
to be back in Raleigh on Monday, and while we
did get a copy of a new proposed map that
was produced yesterday by the General Assembly, Republican lawmakers did
unveil those new maps on Thursday, which are aimed at

(10:41):
strengthening the GOPS hold on the United States House. The
proposed redistricting plan would eliminate the state's loan competitive district,
which Democrats narrowly won in twenty twenty four, and potentially
reshape it into one that is more favorable for Republicans
as we had into the twenty twenty six midterm elections.

(11:03):
Legislative leaders are expected to take up a vote on
the proposal when they returned to Raleigh. There is going
to be a couple of committee meetings on Monday in
which the redistricting committees will vote and determine whether to
move forward with these maps or not. As this move
aligns with a broader national trend as both parties and
state controlled legislators are taking a look at redrawing maps,

(11:25):
some already are doing so states like Texas. California has
got a proposition on their on a special election coming
up later this year for that as well as both parties,
Republicans try and hold control of the United States House
and Democrats try and flip it. North Carolina currently sends
fourteen members to Congress, ten Republicans and four Democrats. However,

(11:48):
lawmakers in Raleigh under these new lines, but are hoping
and believing that that number can be changed to an
eleven to three GOP advantage. So the two changes in
this district are between District one and three. A couple
of counties I'm just gonna rattle off here, Wilson, Wayne, Green,
and Lenore counties would be moved from where they currently

(12:09):
stand in District one into District three, and other counties
including Craven About, Belford, Pamlico, Carteret, Hyde, and Dare Counties
would move from a District three into District one. The
House suck first House District is in the northeast corner
of the state. It runs all the way from the

(12:30):
Virginia border down the outer Banks. And that is what
those new maps are looking like here that lawmakers did
propose yesterday. It is going to be a very interesting
process to unfold and watch in Raleigh next week. We
have had a continued analysis this week, A great conversation
just a couple of days ago with doctor Andy Jackson

(12:50):
from the John Locke Foundation. If you've missed any part
of that, encourage you to check that out on our
Carolina Journal YouTube channel or on any of your favorite
podcast apps. On the Carolina Journal News Hour, we will
continue the analysis as we head into next week and
see exactly what lawmakers will do. This is again said
to be a major political story. We'll keep you up

(13:11):
to date with all of the details right here on
the Carolina Journal News Hour and of course over on
our website Carolina Journal dot com. Turning our attention to
some other state news this morning, not a single application
for a homeowner buy out through the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program known as the HMGP that

(13:34):
has been submitted by western North Carolina homeowners affected by
the unbelievable amounts of devastation and destruction from Hurricane Helene
have been approved. This is according to a new post
on social media from Democrat Governor Josh Stein. All of
this ahead of an October thirty first deadline to apply

(13:54):
for that. The governor took to Exa yesterday morning to say,
in part, hundreds of homeowners in western North Carolina cannot
move on with their lives. Because FEMA has not approved
a single application of its homeowner buyout program since Hurricane
Helene hit last year. That's simply unacceptable. You are well

(14:17):
aware of Hurricane Helene and some of the details. It
struck western North Carolina in late September of last year,
causing an estimated sixty billion dollars in damage. As we
look at this federal program, it is designed to reduce
or eliminate future damages and losses following a disaster and
is managed by the North Carolina Department of Public Safeties

(14:39):
Division of Emergency Management. Property owners can receive assistance with
mitigation methods such as structural elevation, structural reinforcement, and buyout
of damaged properties, of which there are dozens, if not hundreds,
in western North Carolina. At a joint Legislative Government Operations

(15:00):
Subcommittee hearing last month, there was a general consensus on
one issue surrounding the recovery efforts from the storm, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency and ongoing bureaucracy that has been
a huge hindrance and not a help to not only
governments but individuals living in Western North Carolina. Back Calabria,

(15:22):
the director of the Governor's Recovery Office for Western North
Carolina or GROW and See, criticized FEMA's grant program, which
is designed to buy out damaged homes. The federal government
pays seventy five percent, in the state picks up the
remaining tab at twenty five percent. That Hazard Mitigation Grant
program requires authorization on the front end with the United States,

(15:47):
with the US Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome instituting a
signature requirement for all expenditures over one hundred thousand dollars.
Calabria noted that applications for home buyer out we're submitted
to the federal government in February and not a single
home has been approved by that program to date. Collabria

(16:08):
also said that the HMGP program doesn't announce the amount
of funding it will receive until a year out. He
told lawmakers at that government hearing quote, I know you've
got to balance your budget, pass a budget by the
end of June every year, and they've got Swiss cheese
tax bases for the reasons that we talked about, so

(16:29):
they don't know where their fund balance is going to
look like. They don't know what their debtload is going
to look like. They don't technically know whether they're going
to get reimbursed and how much, and yet they've got
a set of tax rates and make a plethora of
other decisions. They don't know what their tax base will
look like because of some of these HMGP delays, And

(16:49):
on top of that, they've got to worry about their
bond rating, which they would have had to worry about
anyway when they're talking about building schools or repairing facilities
and that sort of thing. Officials also spoke about their
frustration with FEMA at last month's meeting. Avery County Commissioner
Dennis Aulridge, who spoke at the hearings, said quote, our

(17:09):
biggest obstacle moving forward is the lack of clarity and
consistent guidance from FEMA. Every time we get close to
the finish line, they change the goalposts. We're willing to
connect with the dots, just don't keep moving the dots,
and every time that we get close, something changes. Sephanie McGrath,
who is the Deputy Secretary of the Department of the

(17:31):
Commerce's Division of Community Community Revitalization, also spoke at the
hearing and said that the first house under the grow
NC program should be completed by January. Noting that there
has been a lot of red tape with the federal government,
This story, unfortunately, is one that is not unique and
not unexpected in western North Carolina. There have been calls

(17:54):
for years about some of these struggles and frustrations with FEMA,
the Federal emer Urgency Management Agency, the amount of bureaucracy, bloat,
and red tape that exists within that organization, and unfortunately,
once again we are seeing it affecting our friends and
neighbors out in western North Carolina. We've got some additional
coverage on this story this morning over on our website,

(18:16):
Carolina Journal dot com. The headline there homeowners left waiting
as FEMA yet to approve Helene buyouts. Again those details
over at Carolina Journal dot com. It's five thirty seven.
Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News our newstock eleven

(18:36):
ten ninety nine three WBT. Don't forget if you miss
any portion of our show weekday mornings here five to
six am. You can check out the Carolina Journal News
Hour podcast that's available in all of your favorite apps.
Just search for the Carolina Journal News Hour tap that
subscribe war follow button, and you'll get a new program
delivered each and every weekday morning. You can also watch
the show live and after the fact on our Carolina

(18:58):
Journal YouTube channel the Carolina Journal News Hour podcast download
and subscribe now. We are covering a brand new report
from the State Auditor's Office this morning here on the
Carolina Journal News Hour as it relates to snap federal
food benefits that many individuals across the state of North
Carolina and the nation received. Walk us through some of
the details on this report and some major implications for

(19:20):
individuals that do rely on federal assistance for food. Teresa Opeka,
Carolina Journal dot com joins us on the News Hour. Teresa.
Snap used to be called food stamps, Now snapped is
something that many North Carolinians use as a lifeline to
put food on the table for their families. In this
new report from the Auditor's Office shows some alarming stats

(19:41):
in some counties across our state. What are you looking
at in this report?

Speaker 2 (19:45):
Yes, Nick, they sure do.

Speaker 3 (19:47):
Thanks for having me this morning, So Autitor bullocks report
I has about approximately eighty three million in over two
hundred eighty thousand payments and supplemental nutrition Assistance Program or
SNAP benefits. They were delayed in North Carolina from twenty
twenty one to twenty twenty four, and that's going the

(20:07):
audit that he released. As you mentioned, SNAP provides you know,
benefits to low income families and individuals to meet their
food budget, including getting access to nutritious food. So it's
not just you know, candy and junk food. That's also
fruits and vegetables, things that are really healthy for them.

Speaker 2 (20:26):
So it's very important that you know this.

Speaker 3 (20:30):
This is rectified and it's been going over for the
past couple of years. Just giving another snapshot for North Carolina.
This is according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities,
it's about thirteen percent or over one point four million
lower income individuals and families in North Carolina received assistance
through SNAP in twenty twenty four. So yeah, it's you know,

(20:54):
quite a bit of families and individuals who get this.
This is a lifeline for them. If they didn't have this,
there would be severe problems with hunger. They call it,
you know, they call it different food deserts or food
insecurity and all the different words and phrases these days,
but basically people would be starving if they didn't.

Speaker 2 (21:14):
Get some of this.

Speaker 3 (21:16):
So it was a pretty important report that Auditor Bullock
released this week.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
Three says, I read through the report and understand some
of the details. While SNAP is a federal program, it
is the responsibility at least in North Carolina. Can't speak
for every other state, but it is the responsibility of
local governments to administer those programs across the state of
North Carolina, and a couple of the major metropolitan areas
across the state are having some alarming figures as it

(21:42):
relates to the amount of missed payments or payments that
are delayed and not given on time to individuals that
you noted are relying on some of these federal benefits.

Speaker 3 (21:52):
Right and in this Auditor Pollock's office identified seven counties
with the worst performance and meeting those federal timeline timeliness standards,
and they include Davidson, Edgecombe, Wake, Mecklenburg which is of
course Charlotte area, pitt Cumberland, and Stanley counties. They issued
between fourteen and twenty five percent of benefit payments in

(22:16):
an untimely manner. You can go through the list of
Carolina Journal dot com. We have specific figures but that's
that's quite a bit. It's like, well, you know in
their response DHHSS, the Department of Health and Human Services
division for this that you know, well, we met I'm paraphrasing,

(22:37):
we met most of the guidelines, Like we met ninety
five percent of what we should have. But that's a
significant number otherwise of not meeting it in the different
households and people who did not receive these in a
timely fashion maybe did go hungry for little length of
time before that payment.

Speaker 2 (22:55):
Was made up.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
Yeah, and you talk about that list of some of
those tops counties and David's, I mean, twenty five PERCENTURISA
one in four of the payments in which were set
meant to be sent out in a certain time period
based on those federal wreck federal guidelines were not And
then as you continue down that list, you look at
our two more populous counties throughout the state, Mecklenburg, which

(23:18):
hosts the city of Charlotte, Wake hosting the city of Raleigh.
I mean, these are the two largest cities in the
state of North Carolina. Some big problems there. Now, obviously, Teresa,
you've got larger populations in those areas, so shouldn't be
a surprise that there's more responsibility and more individuals potentially
taking advantage of the program. But these delays are percentage based.

(23:40):
I mean, you look at some of the numbers out
of Davidson County, the number one in the list, They've
only got sixty one thousand people that are eligible, let's say,
relatively small county in comparison, and they've got issues as well.
So it's a percentage problem.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
Yeah, it most definitely is.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
And like you say, there's no distinction between the larger
areas versus Davidson County with a smaller population. So it's
definitely a percentage problem and a problem within those county
departments for that.

Speaker 1 (24:10):
What did we learn from State Auditor Dave Bullock? Obviously
some of the data, some of the numbers in this
report the auditor typically provides in what you would expect
that and hope that the auditor would provide histories of
some recommendation, some feedback. How do we correct this core
so that it doesn't continue to happen? What did State
Auditor Dave Bulick have to say?

Speaker 3 (24:29):
Sure, so, skiving over some of the findings of the
one finding period from the January first, twenty twenty one
through December thirty first, twenty twenty one. Audits found generally
SNAP benefit payments were made in a timely manner. About
ninety eight percent of benefits were paid in accordance. However,

(24:50):
the USDA at that time waived a lot of the
different guidelines because it was during COVID, So that was
one reason why that was.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
A little bit off.

Speaker 3 (24:57):
It wasn't too bad, but then they started to tell
from January first, twenty twenty two through December thirty first,
twenty twenty four, you saw more late payments and that's
because the requirements came back into play. So obviously recommendations
he had as an assistant to monitor their timeliness of
course of county SNAP benefit payments, including enforcing the corrective

(25:21):
actions of the counties issuing those untimely benefits and also
in giving ready access to data to effectively administer and
monitor those benefits. That includes the extent of how late
are untimely SNAP benefits and the amount of SNAP benefits
paid were untimely, so some you know, we have more
of a further breakdown, more details in our report, but

(25:43):
that was the recommendations that Auditor Bollock's office had and.

Speaker 1 (25:47):
Terse So we haven't seen this yet, but there's always
the risk when you're not meeting some of these federal
guidelines and standards. In this case, as we talk about snap,
the way in which in the timeliness of which these
payments have to go out, you potentially risk if you're
a county or a state that has a large issue
with this, you potentially put some of those federal funds
at jeopardy if you're not able to meet some of

(26:09):
those guidelines that are being set up in Washington, DC.

Speaker 3 (26:14):
That is correct, but in fact, I think there is
some talk about this happening. I don't know its specifically,
it's not related to this audit, but I think a
lot of this they said is going to be coming
due into twenty twenty eight. It's a little late of
a figure, but I did see a report on that.
So yeah, this definitely does have an accumulative effect on you know, Hey,
are you going to be you know, hurt by all

(26:35):
of this late reporting And the answer is most possibly yes.
So yeah, that's something to keep an eye on as well.
And again when we do all these reports, whether it's
hurricane recovery, whether.

Speaker 2 (26:45):
It's something like snap.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
The people who get hurt, it's not the people who
are in charge of all the people who really truly
need the help are the ones to get hurt with
all of this.

Speaker 1 (26:54):
Yeah, it's a very unfortunate circumstance that Teresa says, you noted.
There's a lot more a charts data figures, no numbers
from this report from the estate Arder's office. Where can
folks go and read some of those details this morning?

Speaker 3 (27:06):
Sure they can head on over to Carolina Journal dot com.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
We appreciate the update. Tereso Peka joins us on the
Carolina Journal News Hour. Good morning again, it's five point
fifty two. Welcome back to the Carolina Journal News Hour
Newstack eleven ten ninety nine to three WBT recapping one
of our big stories across North Carolina and the nation

(27:30):
this morning, as the United States Department of Labor has
rolled out a new rule change on how farm worker
wages are calculated. According to the Department. There, they say
that the move is meant to make prices more fair
and workers and more predictable, and worker wages more predictable
for farmers. This is updating a decade's old method with

(27:53):
more accurate state level data. Proponents say it will help
stabilize grocery prices, that's great news for every and costs
that farmers face to grow the national food supply. However,
some of the groups that are applauding the DOL for
this say that Congress needs to get back to work
and make sure that these formulas stay permanent so that

(28:13):
farmers can plan for the future. The new rule replaces
the United States Department of Agriculture's Farm Labor Survey with
some new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. According
to a press release, that BLS data considers new things
like skill level and cost of housing to an employer
that were not previously calculated. According to Michael Granger, who

(28:37):
is the executive director of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission,
speaking not only on behalf of that organization, but thirty
four other agricultural groups, says quote, this proves federal government
agencies and the Cabinet can provide solutions driven to results
for constituents, but Congress must also act to make things

(28:59):
more permanent so farms and ranchers can plan and future
proof their organizations as the business and trade continues to
shift We applaud the current work to get this far,
but we can't run farms or feed families on short
term fixes that change with every administration. That coalition of
thirty four organizations is calling on Congress to establish a

(29:23):
long term, market based framework that would offer predictability for
farmers and growers while upholding protections for US workers. According
to the details in this press release, that would enable
growers to plan years in advance for the costs like input,
deal with things like crop rotation, trade commodities, and other situations,

(29:45):
rather than making decisions on a continued season by season basis,
which they continues to contribute to some arises and prices.
They noted that having this be more stable would restore
stability and rule commune unities that form the foundation of
the national economy. According to a press release, comparing the

(30:07):
instability created by temporary labor regulations and the fallout from
current government shutdowns, the coalition asserts that they both hinder investment,
erode confidence, and put national interests at risks of long
term harm. Kelly Lester is a policy analyst over at
the John Locke Foundation and told the Carolina Journal quote

(30:29):
this revision to the two The H two to A
wage formula is a much needed modernization. By shifting from
the outdated Farm Labor Survey to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics data and distinguishing wages by skill level, the rule
better aligns pay with actual duties performed. It also incorporates

(30:49):
a housing adjustment to acknowledge non cash benefits. Taken together,
these changes reduce distortion, lower undue cost burdens on farmers,
and create a more transparent market based wage system. And
this has been a growing issue now for quite some time.
Over the past three years, those in the agricultural industry

(31:11):
have experienced a surge in labor costs, in some cases
more than thirty percent that has resulted in reduced to planting,
a shift of production overseas, as well as higher prices
for customers. According to details taking a look at some
of the other information in this Despite comments from USDA

(31:33):
Secretary Brooke Rallins earlier this year about the workforce being
one hundred percent American back, there are growing concerns with
immigration policies within the United States and how that could
impact the agricultural workforce as well. And according to some
of the details that we are tracking, again. This h

(31:53):
twa visa program for farm workers. Farmers across the state
and the nation are asking for some stability there. This
is a pretty interesting story and it could have a
major impact not only on the agricultural business, which is
the largest in North Carolina, but your pocketbook as you
head to the grocery store. You can read some additional
details this morning by visiting our website Carolina Journal dot com.

(32:16):
That's gonna do it for a Friday edition of the
Carolina Journal News Hour. WBT News is next, followed by
Good Morning BT. We're back with you Monday morning, five
to six right here on News Talk eleven, ten and
ninety nine to three WBT