The Valley farming community is speaking out against the president's proposal to increase the minimum wage.
Some growers believe increasing the federal minimum to $9 an hour will drive more jobs out of the Valley's ag industry.
The head of the Nisei Farmers League believes a hike, on top of extra costs for mandatory health care, will impact local farms and ranches.
Manuel Cunha, president of the Nisei Farmers League said, "So I think what the president is proposing... he said he wants to bring businesses back to the U.S., but what he's doing is sending agriculture out of the U.S. to other countries is what he's doing once he starts to raise these kinds of costs. We're just going to run our farmers out of this country is what we're planning to do. I guess that's what this congress wants and that's what the president wants."
Some also worry that the higher wage will come with annual cost of living increases, which could drive up prices for the food we eat.
