VOA慢速英语--美国农村人口减少加剧农业劳动力短缺

The latest U.S. census¹ -- the official counting of the country's people -- identified losses in America's rural population.

The losses added to an already severe worker shortage in the country's farming and ranching² areas. These industries have called for immigration reforms to help with the problem.

The census information showed that small population gains in many rural areas were driven by increases in Hispanic and Latino residents. Many of them came as immigrants to work on farms or in meatpacking operations or to start their own businesses.

"We've struggled on this issue for a long time to try to come up with a more reasonable, common-sense approach," said John Hansen. He is president of the Nebraska Farmers Union, which is a part of a group asking Congress for new immigration laws.

Vilifying⁵ immigrants "just makes it harder to get there," Hansen said.

The population changes are clear in Nebraska, where only 24 of the state's 93 counties gained residents. Of those 24, only eight reported an increase in the white population, suggesting most of the growth was driven by minorities, said David Drozd. He is a researcher with the University of Nebraska Omaha's Center for Public Affairs Research.

Drozd examined the census information and found that Nebraska counties with more non-white immigrants are where most of the meatpacking operations are found.

"In the rural areas, if you didn't have the Latino growth, employers would be struggling even more just to fill those positions," Drozd said.

In New Mexico, populations decreased across 20 rural counties. Because there was a shortage of laborers⁷ for the yearly chile harvest, the state promised up to $5 million to increase pay for chile pickers and processors. Pay rates now reach nearly $20 an hour.

Some Republican state legislators blame the lack of laborers on unemployment pay, which, they say, can affect whether a person chooses to work. Democrats⁸ see a continuing labor⁶ crisis.

The New Mexico Chile Association trade group says the industry has a shortage of about 1,350 seasonal⁹ laborers.

The problem is just as bad for chicken farmers in North Carolina, where meat processors support the economies of many rural communities. Half of the state's 100 counties have lost population since 2010, the census information showed.

Bob Ford¹⁰ is executive director of the North Carolina Poultry¹¹ Federation¹². He said labor shortages at chicken plants will only worsen as people continue to leave rural communities. Adding to the problem, he said, is the loss of migrant workers going to better paying jobs in other industries, such as building.

Ford said while higher pay for workers and better health care and housing could help, changes to immigration policy would do a lot more to solve the labor shortage problem.

The National Pork Producers Council is asking federal lawmakers to change visa programs so that migrant workers can remain employed longer.

Bladen County, North Carolina, is home to the world's largest pork processing operation, Smithfield Foods' Tar³ Heel plant. Between 2010 and 2020, the county's population dropped by 15.9 percent. Bertie County, which is home to a large Perdue Farms chicken processing operation, saw a population decrease of 15.7 percent.

In Kansas, some rural Republicans say Congress needs to find an answer.

Nancy Weeks is secretary of the Haskell County Republican Party in southwestern Kansas. She said if immigrants living in the U.S. illegally want to move to the area and work, they should be given a way to gain legal status "so that they pay taxes like I do."

"I don't have a problem with them coming here as long as they get legal," Weeks said.

Words in This Story

ranching – n. the activity or business of raising cattle or other animals on a large farm

approach – n. a way of doing something

vilify⁴ – v. to say bad things about someone so that other people will not like of approve of them

county – n. an area of a state or country that is larger than a city and has its own government to deal with local matters

chile – n. a hot pepper often used in food preparation

status – n. the current state of something

1 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。

2 ranching   

adj.放牧的

参考例句：

• They cleared large tracts of forest for farming, logging and ranching. 他们清除了大片的森林以经营农耕、采伐与畜牧。
• This is a trade center in a ranching and oil-producing region. 这是一个牧场与产油区的贸易中心。

3 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

4 vilify   

v.诽谤，中伤

参考例句：

• But I also do not want people to vilify.但希望我也别给人诬蔑。
• Two chose not to vilify Skilling,however.然而，也有两个人并不愿诋毁思斯奇林。

5 vilifying   

v.中伤，诽谤( vilify的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A: But he is vilifying you! You should fight back. 可他是在诋毁你啊！你应该还击。 来自互联网

6 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

7 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

10 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

11 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

12 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。