Industry groups say the Trump administration's plan to make the H-2A farmworker visa program easier for growers to use would instead drive up their labor costs and create new wage disparities.

The California Legislature is nearly set to cast the final votes on a bill proposing a new streamlined process for building farmworker housing.

Economists and farm groups say the Trump Administration's $16-billion "trade aid" package is designed for Midwestern farmers and the amount that trickles over to California farmers will provide little relief.