Harvesting hours were calculated for each crew by dividing total hours worked per day by the number of workers in the crew. Orange crews averaged more than eight hours per day of harvest time while a tomato crew averaged slightly fewer than six hours per day of harvest time. Some farm worker advocacy groups have targeted the level of piece rates as a principal reason for low farm worker incomes. However, annual farm worker income is dependent on more than just the piece rate, and it is not clear that simply increasing the piece rate will necessarily increase a farm worker's overall annual income. A one cent increase in the harvest piece rate translates into a one cent increase in unit costs.
Fewer harvests mean less harvest time for farm workers and thus lower overall income.
In addition to the piece rate and a worker's productivity, total number of hours of available work is another, perhaps most important determinant of a farmworker's annual income. The seasonality of agricultural production and vagaries of markets and weather are powerful factors that govern available field hours. These factors, for the most part, are beyond the control of individual growers. Seasonal farm workers have been, and will continue to be important to growers who produce fresh fruits and vegetables. Agricultural leaders have expressed concern that the number of available farm workers is falling and that in the near future the number of seasonal farm workers may not be adequate to support current production levels of Florida's fruit and vegetable industries.