Washington state is the largest producer of apples in the United States. In 2018, farms in Washington produced 171 million bushels of apples, nearly five times more than the next highest producing state, New York. Many apple farms in Washington depend on migrant labor from Mexico and Central America. These countries were once reliable sources of labor, but farmers are now experiencing a large shortage of labor. Most migrant workers are choosing yearround positions in the construction industry instead of the seasonal work offered in agriculture, leaving apple farms relying on undocumented migrant labor. With fewer undocumented workers, labor costs have soared, forcing many farmers to invest in expensive mechanical harvesting devices. Explain how both the labor shortage and investing in mechanical harvesting devices will change the farms’

cost structure and industry dynamics.