CO Fruit and Vegetable Growers Share Concerns in Washington, D.C.

CO Fruit and Vegetable Growers Share Concerns in Washington, D.C.

Last week Colorado Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association President Robert Sakata of Brighton traveled to the nation's capital where he joined Western Growers members in talking to members of Congress and the Trump administration about the challenges facing Colorado produce growers. He shares one of the biggest issues for Colorado growers.

Sakata: "As we made our rounds when they asked us our top three issues — we told them, "Guest worker program, guest worker program and guest worker program. Of course there is water issues dealing with the WOTUS, there are trade issues of course which we are all very concerned about but we really stressed that we need — so many farmers are in dire straits not being able to find enough qualified help. We are really at a turning point there."

He continues one of the highlights of his visit to Washington, D.C. was the opportunity to meet with EPA's Administrator Pruitt.

Sakata: "In meeting with Administrator Pruitt — didn't know what to expect — I'd read a lot different things about him. What a knowledgeable person - really about the EPA , the structure of the EPA and great knowledge of the arid West. I think that is so important as we know there across the United States there is so much difference with climate change it is hard to have regulation that fits it all. It was a huge step for him to look at WOTUS and we need to stop on the WOTUS rule and really reevaluate it. He shared with us that it is his intention to really have something new out by the end of the year which was a lot faster than any of us had expected."

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