los angeles convince big u.s. dairy owners buy robots milk cow reduce farmhands employ use tough sell steve fry recently job get easy say part president donald trump get call daily basis typically start want deal labor headache say fry sales manager lely north america make robotic dairy milk feed systems trump crackdown illegal immigration stepped-up arrest border enforcement shake u.s. agricultural sector many 10 farm workers undocumented accord american farm bureau federation addition republican lawmakers congress introduce legislation would require employers check social security number federal databases ensure workers country legally something voluntary handful state get-tough approach `` create great deal anxiety `` say tom vilsack chief executive u.s. dairy export council u.s. agriculture secretary eight years president barack obama shift come industry already struggle cope shrink age workforce ratchet pressure sector embrace new technology farmers food company increasingly move automate dairy operations chicken process crop production harvest even delicate crop strawberries peach consider mechanization fool plan move way say duff bevill own vineyard management company sonoma county california pilgrim pride corp ppc.o second large u.s. chicken producer year cite tighten migrant labor market key decision invest robots x-ray technology slaughterhouses goal swap human hand machine debone front half chickens perform chores invest heavily automate process take labor make job easy pilgrim ceo william lovette say earn call say company also decide increase wag gilroy california christopher ranch likewise embrace new machinery large north american producer fresh garlic christopher ranch spend million year new spanish-made robot pack plant insert garlic head sleeves accord ken christopher vice president family-owned business 2014 report wintergreen research forecast significant growth use robotics every aspect farm milk food production agricultural enterprises report put market agricultural robots 817 million 2013 project would reach 16.3 billion 2020. sense opportunity investors step address agriculture labor squeeze new automation help fall electronics cost advancements software robotics artificial intelligence google venture venture capital arm alphabet inc googl.o year spearhead 10 million investment abundant robotics work apple-picking robot also participate 20 million fund round bowery farm use robotics grow leafy green indoors elsewhere farm machinery maker deere co de.n announce spend 305 million buy precision weed-killing robot maker blue river technology incentives automate little official data exist illustrate impact trump immigration policies farm laborers question illegal migration sharply since take office late january number people catch try enter unite state illegally mexico drop almost 60 percent february may compare period last year accord government figure late january early september number individuals arrest interior country u.s. immigration customs enforcement ice rise almost 43 percent period 2016. gary wishnatzki third-generation strawberry farmer florida say scarce labor convince raise million far build robotic strawberry picker hop someday reduce industry need field hand bruce taylor ceo taylor farm salinas california producer salads chop vegetables store restaurants say company automate 20 percent pack plant company also team equipment maker build mechanize romaine harvester currently use explore automation iceberg lettuce broccoli field crop taylor say meantime farmers raise wag data u.s. department agriculture recent farm labor report show average wag week april 15 13.23 per hour percent week year ago mantra agriculture right automate pay well labor absolutely say paul pittman ceo farmland partner inc fpi.n real estate investment trust invest north american farm land win loyalty full-time production workers garlic grower christopher ranch decide raise pay 50 percent 2016 2018 get four-year jump california mandate 15 minimum wage take effect 2022 company need find ways adapt adjust christopher executive say go take small financial hit go ready follow trump impact energy environment healthcare immigration economy trump effect www.reuters.com/trump-effect trump target immigrants u.s. farm sector look automate