Last week, a variety of leaders from across the Washington Ag community sent a letter to Governor Jay Inslee, asking that farm and factory food workers move closer to the front of the COVID-19 vaccine line. Saying those workers perform jobs that cannot be done remotely or delayed, leaders from the Washington Farm Bureau, Potato Commission, Cattlemen’s Association and many others said this slight change offers the greatest hope for reducing coronavirus risk among workers.

An Inslee spokesman says the letter has been received and is being reviewed.

Jon DeVaney President of the Washington State Tree Fruit Association told the AP it makes more sense to treat Ag workers as a single group and not divide them by age since a large percentage are migrant workers from other states as well as temporary foreign workers.

Agriculture and food processing generate 164,000 jobs in Washington, and accounts for $20 billion in sales.

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