State Department rectifies visa glitch that disrupted harvest of some crops
State Department rectifies visa glitch that disrupted harvest of some crops
The U.S. State Department has rectified a computer problem that was preventing visas from being issued by U.S. embassies and consulates, which is good news for fruit and vegetable growers left with a shortage of workers during the key harvest season.
The problem, described as a flaw of the system’s ability to store biometric data, started June 9 and resulted in a backlog of visa requests. Losses to produce growers in California were estimated at $1 million per day.
Jason Resnick, general counsel for Western Growers Association, told The Wall Street Journal that “it’s too soon to get an exact estimate” of the losses caused by the inability to harvest, but “in California we know that crop losses were at over $1 million a day for over two weeks.”
Strawberries and other berries appeared to suffer the biggest disruptions, although Northwest cherry growers also suffered losses.
David Douglas of J&B Orchards in Mesa, WA, told The Wall Street Journal that the H2A workers he had expected June 6 “effectively missed the entire cherry harvest.”