Migrants crossing into the U.S. through border wall gaps in Arizona contaminate and destroy crops, farmers say

Following the removal of shipping containers plugging gaps in the border wall in Yuma, Arizona (because of a Biden administration lawsuit), farmers with fields along the U.S.-Mexico border have expressed concerns over food safety, according to a news report.

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**This article is based on information sourced from accredited news websites, cited within the story**

There is a growing concern among Arizona farmers that Yuma - the country's largest producer of leafy greens during the winter months - will be unable to sustain the nation’s supply of romaine lettuce and iceberg lettuce. It supplies around 9 billion servings of leafy greens per year (source). 

As more migrants enter their fields through the gaps in the border wall, farmers fear they will lose their crops from them being trampled and contaminated with trash and garbage left behind by the migrants. One farmer reported losing almost $100,000 after migrants hid on his farmland for a week (source). 

In light of the ongoing border crisis, Arizona farmers with fields near the southern border are also concerned about the security of the nation's food supply because migrants are trespassing through farmland and contaminating crops (source). 

The president of an Arizona produce company stated:

It is obvious that there are food safety concerns since our fields are constantly monitored, audited, and tested for different types of pathogens. We put up flags and sort of mark it out in case someone walks into our field and we are not able to harvest that if they do not know why. 

A news report explains how migrants trespassing through crop fields could harm the nation's food supply.

It is reported that gaps in the Yuma border wall contribute significantly to Arizona’s border crisis, and migrant crossings in Yuma have increased by 171 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to the Customs and Border Patrol, per a news report.

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