10/15/11 Gov. on Picker Shortage

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire says the shortage of apple pickers in the nation's top apple-producing state is dire.

The News Tribune reports that in the Wenatchee Valley apple growers have posted help-wanted signs across the countryside. For the first time in years, growers have also launched a radio campaign, offering up to $120 to $150 dollars per day.

Gregoire says ads have attracted few takers. She criticized anti-illegal-immigration rhetoric prevalent in Washington, D.C., saying Congress should instead be focused on ways to get more foreign workers to help with harvesting.

The governor returned home Friday after leading a 15-member delegation of farm group representatives to the nation's capital.